Training for Shop Stewards and Occupational Health and Safety Representatives.

Do you notice what many others miss?

Welcome to the webinar training produced by Victim Support Finland (RIKU) and The European Institute for Crime Prevention and Control, affiliated with the United Nations (HEUNI)

Shop stewards and occupational health and safety representatives are often the first to encounter signs of labor exploitation. This training provides concrete tools for detecting, assessing, and following up on suspicious situations in the workplace.

What does labor exploitation actually mean?

Labor exploitation isn't limited to headlines on human trafficking. It is a continuum from the minor infractions of working conditions to severe, organized exploitation.

Why are some people more vulnerable to exploitation?

Not all employees are in a similar position to defend their rights. The training addresses how factors such as nationality, language skills, local networks, and dependence on the employer or connections arranged by the employer affect how easy — or difficult — it is to address and report problems. In addition, many cases of exploitation begin even before the first day of work.

How do you recognize signs of exploitation, and what do you do when suspicion arises?

What to pay attention to in work context — what kinds of observations, situations, and signals might indicate that something is worth looking into further. The training provides practical approaches: how to approach the employees involved, how to proceed thoughtfully, and how to move the matter forward.

Finally, we will discuss what opportunities shop stewards and occupational health and safety representatives have to promote their company's social responsibility in the longer term.

The webinar's introduction part will be recorded.

Introductions of the trainers:

Laura Järvenpää works as a Sustainability Specialist at HEUNI, focusing on addressing labor exploitation and on corporate social sustainability. Previously, Laura has worked on sustainable business conduct legislative processes at the EU level, as well as on the practical implementation of social sustainability in the corporate world.

Pia Marttila works as a Senior Advisor at Victim Support Finland's (RIKU) specialized service for victims of human trafficking and related crimes. Over the past more than 10 years, she has closely followed the stories of hundreds of victims of labor exploitation who have been RIKU clients—from cautious initial contacts to, in some cases, criminal convictions.