The Paper Association announced on Wednesday that UPM’s mill workers will continue their ongoing strike until 16 April because no agreement has yet been reached on working conditions. The operation was due to end on 2 April.
The union has negotiated a new collective agreement with UPM that defines wages and conditions in the paper industry. The strike began on 1 January 2022 and the parties are currently locked in mediation.
According to the company’s trustees, dozens of UPM employees have resigned from all over Finland during the strike.
Timo HietanenThe company’s chief shop steward at the Jämsänkoski plant told Yle that seven employees, including white-collar workers, have left the company so far due to the impasse.
He added that it could be difficult to start all of UPM’s paper machines after the strike due to a lack of skilled workers, as he also suspects that more workers will have to resign if the strike continues.
UPM has announced that it will seek to meet the demand of customers outside Finland during the strike.
Metsäjätti has not yet published an assessment of the financial impact of the strike.