Prime Minister Matti Vanhanen says he is unaware of any ultimatum issued by mobile phone giant Nokia to leave Finland if legislation allowing employers to monitor staff e-mails is not enacted.
The newspaper Helsingin Sanomat reported on Sunday that Nokia had threatened to leave Finland if new legislation allowing firms to closely monitor employees’ e-mails was not enacted.
Nokia's Director of Communications, Arja Suominen has denied the claim, saying it had taken the company by surprise. Minister of Communications Suvi Lindén also said she was not aware that any such ultimatum had been given.
Speaking in a YLE interview programme, Vanhanen said such a threat might have been made at “a lower level” but he insisted no information had reached government ears.
Many legal experts have criticized the legislation saying it contravenes employees’ rights. Vanhanen believes the law is justified in order to prevent industrial espionage. He added it would be näive to think that such activities did not occur in Finland, and stressed that It was essential to protect Finnish innovations.
An official involved in drawing up the proposed legislative reforms told Helsingin Sanomat that Nokia’s alleged threat to leave Finland if the law was not passed had been received via the Confederation of Finnish Industries (EK). He said the company had applied considerable pressure to secure a favourable atmosphere for passage of the legislation.
Parliament will vote on the bill known as the Nokia Law in two weeks. Its passage is considered certain.
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