HELSINKI, Dec 10 (NNN-AGENCIES) – Some 100,000 Finnish employees in industrial sectors, began a three-day strike on Monday, to back up their salary demands.
The action comprises both worker and management unions. The strike was called by the Finnish Industrial Union, the Trade Union Pro and the “white collar” Federation of Professional and Managerial Staff YTN. In addition, workers in the building and electrical sectors announced solidarity strikes, bringing the total number of employees embarking on industrial action to nearly 100,000.
The strike includes employees in fuel production, pharmaceutical companies, mines and several technology companies.
The state mediator, Vuokko Piekkala, told Finnish national radio, Yle, views on salary increases between the employee and employer unions are widely apart.
Last week the Finnish Industrial Union rejected mediation proposal by state mediator. Riku Aalto, President of the Industrial Union said, the proposal was “less than two or three percent increases” obtained by employees in “key competitor countries of Finland.”
Finnish unions have largely set the increase levels of key competitor countries, mainly Germany, as a benchmark for their demands. In Germany the average nominal increases agreed this year have been over three percent, and the metal sector there exceeded that, according to German economic research institutes.
The strike will be followed by a week-long lockout in the Forest Industries, concerning mainly sawmills and plywood plants. The lockout will begin on Dec 12 and end on Dec 18.
Lockout is an employer measure. During a lockout, employees will be excluded from the work place and would not be paid.– NNN-AGENCIES