Police cordon the Senate Square near the University of Helsinki in Helsinki, Finland on Wednesday, 19th March, 2025. LEHTIKUVA
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Police officers in Finland are preparing to strike for the first time in nearly 50 years as tensions escalate over stalled pay negotiations between the state and public sector unions.
According to a message seen by Helsingin Sanomat and shared within an internal police group, the Finnish Police Union (SPJL) has made decisions regarding strike action, with formal announcements expected soon. While the strike has not yet been officially declared, preparations are under way.
Yle reported that decisions on broader industrial action could be taken as early as today. The chair of SPJL, Jonne Rinne, told Yle that the final decision will be made by the board of JUKO, the negotiation organisation representing educated public sector employees, including police officers. The board is scheduled to meet today.
If implemented, the strike would mark only the second time in Finnish history that police have walked off the job, the last time being in 1976.
Due to mandatory protection duties, some officers would remain at work during the strike. The potential action could also extend to other state employee groups, including customs officers, border guards, and defence personnel.
The dispute centres on wage increases. Public sector unions, including SPJL, are calling for a three-year pay rise of 7.8 percent in line with agreements already reached in the private sector. The state employer has offered 6.3 percent over the same period.
The Government Employer’s Office halted negotiations earlier this month after only one offer was tabled, which unions rejected. Talks have remained frozen since then.
In a joint statement on Tuesday, 11 unions representing employees across security and defence sectors criticised the government’s handling of the negotiations. Signatories included the Customs Officers’ Union, the Union of Warrant Officers, the Border Security Union, the Prison Officers’ Union, and the Defence Engineers’ Association, among others.
“In the current security environment, offering below-standard wage increases sends a contradictory message about the state’s role as an employer and weakens its already limited ability to compete for skilled professionals in security sectors,” the statement read.
The government argues that matching private sector pay increases would be unsustainable given Finland’s growing public debt.
On Wednesday, JUKO, the Trade Union for the Public and Welfare Sectors (JHL), and the Pro Union introduced bans on overtime, shift changes, and the accumulation of flex-time balances. These measures apply to the roughly 10 percent of state personnel employed under standard labour contracts.
The current dispute marks the most significant public sector wage conflict since the large civil servants’ strike in 1986.
HT
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Source: www.helsinkitimes.fi
