Trade unions participating “gray economy – black future” campaign

The police of Finland has started new campaign named “gray economy – black future” that encourages young people to reflect on the gray economy and its impact on their lives. The campaign aims to make it clear that each of us is the right person to combat against the gray economy. Finnish trade unions are participating the campaign as well.

The gray economy means that employer neglects the payments of statutory duties and social fees of employees (in Finnish: palkansaaja). Gray economy is also the abuse of social benefits, buying and selling pirate products, and in business, leaving the taxes and other statutory payments to be paid.

The campaign states that gray and black economy damage to both you and the society as a whole. When some of us don’t pay taxes and neglects other obligations, the collected tax revenue is considerably smaller. This will increase taxes and makes managing of publicly funded services harder, including street and road maintenance, health services, and school activities.

One of the campaign’s idea is to clarify, how the gray economy will affect to employee. Many young persons might not know, that undeclared work will not accrue a pension, or that the employer has not insured the workers against accidents. In gray economy, the sickness benefit and unemployment compensation are unknown.

The campaign states that everyday choices are many times more powerful eroding the gray economy than actions against criminal actions already taken place. The campaign has an informative web page, where quizzes about the subject can be made and a detective story to be read among the accurate info about the subject. There will be ads in radio and outdoor commercials promoting the campaign; the police’s and custom’s cars will be also labeled on the theme for the campaign time.

In addition to the Finnish Police force, participants of the campaign are the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health, the Ministry of Justice, Customs of Finland, Finnish Tax Administration, several trade unions like AKAVA, EK, SAK, STTK, PAM and Pardia, the Central Pension Security Institute of Finland, the Food Safety Authority of Finland Evira, the Financial Sector Federation of Finland, RT, the Finnish Transport and Logistics Federation SKAL, Federation of Finnish Enterprises, and Federal of Electrical and Telecommunications Contractors STUL.