Thai Minister of Labour Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn conditionally agreed on a deal allowing Thai berry pickers to come to Finland, after discussing the issue with Finland's Minister of Labour Arto Satonen (NCP).
Thai and Finnish authorities have discussed the matter remotely in the past two weeks. After the last discussion on Friday, Thai authorities said they still wanted to examine the pickers' proposed employment contracts.
The Finnish Immigration Service (Migri) has issued employee residence permits to 900 pickers for this year. The pickers also need exit permits issued by the Thai authorities to leave the country.
Time is running out for this year's harvest, as the main picking season draws to a close in August.
Last week, Thai authorities prevented 43 people from leaving the country to work as berry harvesters in Finland.
The group, 36 men and seven women, admitted that they were on their way to Finland to pick wild berries without the required Thai exit permits.
Thai authorities have not yet granted exit visas for people wanting to pick berries, as they try to negotiate safeguards for people wanting to work in Finland.
Finnish berry firms say they cannot find enough people in Finland willing to do the work, which typically includes long days in remote, mosquito-infested areas for pay that is relatively low by local standards.
The companies have faced allegations about corruption, exploitation and mistreatment of foreign seasonal harvesters, who in recent years have mainly come from Thailand. About 10 people are suspected of crimes connected to berry-pickers' treatment.
Minimum wage around 1,700 euros per season
Senior Ministerial Adviser Jarmo Tiukkanen at the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment told Yle that calculations on the pickers' salaries were discussed at Tuesday's meeting. According to these calculations, the minimum wage for berry pickers would be just over 1,700 euros per season working five eight hour days a week.
With overtime work, under the same calculations it would be possible to earn 4,000 euros total per season working six days a week, for a maximum of 11 hours per day.
"So really net, after deducting all expenses," Tiukkanen told Yle.
Tiukkanen said that final approval from the Thai authorities will likely come later on Tuesday or by Wednesday
"They still want to verify the expected wage level for pickers in writing. For that purpose, we have provided them with the calculations submitted by the Federation of Agricultural Employers," Tiukkanen said.
According to Tiukkanen, the wages were calculated using the picking period from 1 August to 5 October.
Updated at 14:55 to add Thailand's conditional approval and comments from Tiukkanen.
