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The work on the fortifications called for a very large labour force. Initially, it consisted of Russian fortifications soldiers (sappers) and workers. Unemployed Finns also applied for fortification jobs because the pay was good. At the time, the employment situation in Espoo was bad, and so the jobs were a good means of earning a living for the locals, but workers also came long distances from places all over Finland. There was still a need for more manpower, and the authorities had to resort to compulsory recruiting in the countryside. Each country house had to dispatch a man and a horse to the rampart work. In 1916, there were 150 horses and drivers in transportation jobs in Espoo. Thousands of men arrived from all over Finland, and from Ostrobothnia there also came women. According to some sources, compulsory recruitment led to the gathering of 4,000 men and horses and twelve lorries. In 1916, 1,300 of these were deployed in Leppävaara and 1,500 in Tapiola. The Russians also brought in approx. 3,000 foreign workers, Chinese, Kirghiz and Tartars, who stayed in Finland until the spring of 1917. The Chinese were mainly involved in forest work, |
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rather than the actual fortification jobs, and the Kirghiz served as guards. All told, it is estimated that around 100,000 people took part in fortification work in different areas of Finland. The fortification workers were usually paid at a day rate, which was lower than if the work had been carried out by contract. Only the quarrying and casting jobs were performed by contract. The rampart workers received about FIM 4 a day. The rampart work was monitored very ineffectively and everyone tried to cheat as much as possible. The large size of the work force and the general confusion were taken advantage of on the site. The foremen used fabricated names to make their list as long as possible. Reference was made to "Gogol's souls". In the meantime, the workers spent the day traipsing from one site to the next to sign their names and collect pay. There was no labour protection and, during the quarrying of the rocks, accidents were a daily occurrence. As virtually no compensation was paid out, it was often the custom, whenever an accident happened, to collect one mark from each worker. In the event of death, the victim was often buried on the quiet at, e.g., Malmi Cemetery. |
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