The quiet Vuosaari harbor in Helsinki on Monday, March 11, 2024. Dockworkers from the Transport Workers’ Union (AKT) and some other port-related labor groups are participating in a two-week political strike from March 11 to March 24. The strike will shut down cargo traffic in the ports, while passenger traffic will operate as usual. LEHTIKUVA
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A two-week political strike has brought freight traffic to a halt in Finnish ports and railways, signaling a major disruption in the country’s logistics and potentially leading to shortages, including fuel. Juha Mutru, representing the employer’s side through Port Operators Association, warns that resolving the backlog in ports could take weeks, with the majority of freight traffic coming to a standstill.
The strike wave, affecting port freight, railway goods transport, and heavy industry, is part of a broader labor dispute including dock workers and other port-related labor groups under the Transport Workers’ Union (AKT) from March 11th to March 24th.
Despite the significant stoppage, not all freight movement is suspended; cargo continues to move via trucks on ferries to Estonia and Sweden, not requiring dockworkers. Mutru also highlights that critical supplies, such as medications, animal feeds, and energy provisions, will still be handled despite the strike.
The strike’s impact is particularly harsh on the forestry industry, a major client of the ports, leading to potential shutdowns and lost production. The metal and chemical industries are also among the large users facing disruptions. With limited storage capacity, some factories, especially those without their own storage, may have to cease production quickly.
Mutru points out that 96% of Finland’s foreign trade typically passes through its ports, and the strike is expected to create significant bottlenecks. Although some factories scaling down operations may mitigate the buildup somewhat, ships en route to Finland might end up waiting off the coast for the opportunity to unload.
The announced strikes are set to conclude a week before Easter, with Mutru acknowledging that the backlog might require working overtime during the holiday to be cleared.
While the strike primarily targets the economic sector and employers, it could also affect the general public, including potential fuel shortages at some service stations and limited availability of certain retail products.
With the upcoming labor market negotiations and the expiring dockworkers’ collective agreement, the current labor market situation hints at a challenging next round of negotiations. The strikes have seen participation from several unions, including the Industrial Union, affecting about 4,000 industrial workers, and impacting various ports and facilities across the country.
Exempt from the strike actions are tasks whose non-completion could endanger life, health, or property, ensuring that essential services maintain their operations.
HT
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Source: www.helsinkitimes.fi
