Employment, Estonia, EU – Baltic States, Transport

Four years ago, people of foreign descent made up 30% of drivers employed by the city of Helsinki, reports LETA.

Representatives of some 40 nationalities operate buses in Finland's capital Helsinki.

"Almost every one of them has previous experience in driving buses elsewhere in the world. Many have driven in far bigger cities than Helsinki," said Human Resources Director Jussi Mertanen at Helsingin Bussiliikenne.

Meanwhile it’s difficult to tempt native-born Finns to grab the wheel – factors such as irregular shift work and poor job image are partially to blame, says shop steward Marko Jouppila.

Last year nearly 30 violent incidents occurred in buses. In the most serious of these cases, in February 2011, a 36-year-old driver sustained permanent brain damage.

This year the amount of violence has clearly gone down, says Mertanen.