Prime Minister Petteri Orpo (NCP) was photographed before his regular, live interview on YLE Radio Suomi in Helsinki on Sunday, 26 January 2025. During the interview, the prime minister expressed his alarm about the first wave of strikes starting today in the chemicals and technology industries, viewing that the strikes could have an outsized impact on the economy and employment. (Heikki Saukkomaa – Lehtikuva)
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PRIME MINISTER Petteri Orpo (NCP) stated to YLE on Sunday that he hopes that labour market organisations could discuss terms and conditions of employment without setting off strikes given their negative effects on budding economic growth in Finland.
“We should find a spirit that allows us to make agreements quickly rather than slowly and not cause any damage to employment and economic growth,” he said during his regular interview on YLE Radio Suomi.
The Finnish Industrial Union on Monday launched the first in a series of planned strikes in the chemicals and technology industries in an attempt to make headway in its collective bargaining negotiations with the Chemical Industry Federation and Technology Industry Employers. More than 13,000 employees at almost 100 workplaces are expected to take place in the six-day strike, with seven other trade unions supporting the struggle with solidarity actions.
Orpo told YLE he is concerned about the strike.
“I’m very worried about this,” he said. “These [strikes] can have an outsized impact in these particular circumstances.”
The Industrial Union is prepared to launch another six-day strike on 3 February, targeting over 60 different chemicals and technology companies. It has also announced a strike targeting forest industry companies UPM Kymmene and UPM Plywood.
Some 13,500 employees are expected to participate in the strike on 3–8 February.
Yet another strike is scheduled to take place on 10–14 February, with roughly 8,000 employees at 126 workplaces expected to take part.
Trade Union Pro, a union representing expert and managerial staff, has stated that its members at nearly 20 technology industry companies will go on strike from 27 January to 1 February. In the second wave, on 3–8 February, the strike will expand to also cover companies in the chemicals industry.
The Central Organisation of Finnish Trade Unions (SAK), the members of which include the Industrial Union, has set its sights on securing pay rises of 10 per cent for its members in the ongoing round of collective bargaining.
The Finnish Airline Pilots’ Association (SLL) has reportedly demanded even greater pay rises and rejected the compromise suggested by the national conciliator to tie the rise to the outcome of talks between the Industrial Union, Chemical Industry Federation and Technology Industry Employers.
SLL and Service Sector Employers (Palta) have been embroiled in collective bargaining negotiations already for months, the previous agreement having expired in September 2024. Palta has estimated that the overtime and standby bans implemented by the pilots are causing roughly a dozen flight cancellations every day.
Aleksi Teivainen – HT
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Source: www.helsinkitimes.fi
