The Labor Inspectorate is still investigating one of the accidents in “Tukuma Piena”; the traumatized Ukrainian woman about moving forward in ignorance / Article

The injured woman is unaware of the progress of the case

“I didn’t know that there was some kind of danger under that equipment and I received a blow directly on the fingers and palm of my right hand. I have such a fracture there,” Ukrainian Klaudia said about the injury she received at the end of last year at the company “Tukuma piens”. She had only worked at the factory for a couple of weeks before being assigned to work on a piece of equipment she had never worked on before. In this machine, she had to pour chocolate and keep a clean workplace, but under the machine, Claudia noticed some fallen curds and decided to pull them out, where she was hit on the hand with a press.

At that time, Klaudija did not contact the labor inspectorate, because a company representative, who also took the woman to the hospital, told her not to tell the doctor that the injury happened at work, and Klaudija told the doctor that she fell on the street.

As a result, she was issued a work disability certificate, which was paid for only 9 days, and then, losing her income and also the opportunity to continue working, Klaudia went back to Ukraine.

Klaudia said: “Of course, in that situation, everyone was shocked, but they immediately told me that you did sign the Occupational Safety… Well, yes, I signed, I did, but no one taught me anything about that car and didn’t even tell me what and how. Jana they took me to the clinic and said that since the sick leave will be paid for by work, then don’t say that it happened at work, because then there will be problems, because I’m from Ukraine. But she didn’t say that the problems will be with them, not me. But when all this happened, I did not understand anything at all, where and how I should turn for help. The lawyer had also come to me, and then she explained my rights and I understood, of course, that after the injury I had done everything wrong, because I obeyed Jana from the company. “

Klaudia later received legal assistance directly at the Tukuma support center for Ukrainian civilians, but she had already decided to go to Ukraine.

On the other hand, in February, when the “Forbidden Technique” program reported on this and three other cases of injuries at the “Tukuma Piena” factory, the State Labor Inspectorate also started investigating Klaudija’s case. Until now, Klaudia has given a testimony once, but she has not received any information about the progress of the case from the inspectorate.

“I don’t know what happens next with the investigation. I’m in Ukraine, but I’m waiting for some information about it and I’d like to know how the case is progressing. When I returned to Ukraine, they made another X-ray and put a cast on me again. I walked around with it for a month, but when the cast was removed, I couldn’t bend my fingers at all. Then I went through ten days of rehabilitation here with the money I had myself, and now I’m trying to exercise those fingers myself at home. Now they bend for me by about 50%,” said Klaudia.

The investigation continues, the head of the company remains silent

The head of the company “Tukuma piens” Ints Poškus did not want to comment on the specific situation in the recording of Latvian Radio on Wednesday, but he also did not answer the questions sent by e-mail.

Andris Saulītis, the representative of the Zemgale regional department of the State Labor Inspectorate, said that the investigation is still ongoing, and the testimonies of the involved parties are being evaluated. If employees suffer significant injuries in the work environment, then the employer must inform the Labor Inspectorate about it, but the inspectorate still cannot comment on whether the mentioned accident was hidden in the company.

Saulītis stated: “The investigation is still ongoing and I will refrain from giving a wider comment, because the final decision has not been made. At the moment, we are aware of a total of four cases in the company, but there have been no more accident reports. We have also been to the company afterwards and talked with management and employees. And the instructions are written in a language people can understand, and the company takes steps to provide training and briefings.”

The representative of the labor inspectorate also says that he does not observe any new trend, that workers from Ukraine are more often involved in accidents recently.

Awareness should be promoted for both entrepreneurs and employees

On the other hand, Ingmārs Freimanis, the interest protection specialist of the organization I want to help refugees, said that Ukrainians in the organization also consult about unfair situations in employment.

Freimanis said: “At the Riga support center for Ukrainian residents, we have had several cases when Ukrainians ask at the info point – is it normal to work 12 hours a day, is it normal to work 6 days a week or what to do if salary is delayed, where to turn if the employer does not want to pay for the period of incapacity for work. Our specialists in these cases, of course, explain that this is not normal and invite them to contact the State Labor Inspectorate, but not everyone wants to do this. It is possible that people are also afraid of losing the job they have found here or also do not believe that the problem will be solved in this way. And understandably, it is also difficult for us to assess the true extent of this problem if people do not seek help.”

Jānis Lielpēteris, representative of the Latvian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, assessed that there are currently no obstacles for employers to ensure work safety for Ukrainian civilians as well, but awareness should be promoted among both businessmen and employees.

Lielpeteris said: “There are no such significant challenges for employers in this context, because they are not largely issues that will collide with an additional financial burden or the need to create some new legal norms, but if we look at this issue also from the employee’s point of view, then definitely you must also pay close attention to yourself and if something seems wrong, you must report to your colleagues and supervisor, because in the end, even the employer may not notice some small nuances about the work organization and, of course, in that case, it is the employee’s own contribution when reporting these observations , is what prevents the negative effects.”

The One-Stop Agency of the Social Integration Fund receives about 100 calls for foreigners every week, and a third of the clients are Ukrainian civilians. The representative of the fund, Inese Saldābola, confirmed that they also provide legal advice on employee rights issues.

Saldābola: “What we observe is the availability of information, but of course in many situations it is a question of language, whether the visitor can accurately perceive and understand this information, also taking into account the country from which the particular visitor has come. For example, When it comes to employment law, people have very different understandings. Of course, employers can certainly do more on this. If an employer thinks more about diversity and inclusion in their company, it will of course also reduce disputes and disagreements, as well as positions of power. use, which we may not often observe, because it is a matter of how the employer looks at his employee – is he like an ally with his needs, or is he simply a tool, and if this one is not comfortable enough for me, then I look for the next one .”

The Labor Inspectorate promises a decision within the next few weeks

The State Labor Inspectorate will make a decision regarding the injury suffered by the Ukrainian Klaudija in the company “Tukuma Piens” in the coming weeks.

Having previously investigated another case at the Tukuma milk factory, where 19-year-old Matīss lost the fingers of his right hand, the State Labor Inspectorate decided that the employee himself had acted carelessly. However, at the same time, the inspectorate admitted that it had also issued an order to the company for improvements in work safety instructions, including the placement of stickers on equipment warning that they contain sharp and rotating objects. The decision on the accident of the said young man has not been appealed, and the investigation is not continued. Matīss told Latvijas Radio that the case is still being investigated by the police and he is considering going to court.