Both Pro and YTN have scheduled their strike for the same three-day period, with the latter revealing that around 5,000 senior executives will take part. All three unions also announced broad overtime bans that took effect yesterday or today.
Employee representatives broke off negotiations on new chemical and technology industry collective agreements on Monday, citing insurmountable differences over wage increases. In particular, the negotiations in the technology industry concern all wage earners, as the industry typically sets so-called general wage increases, which are also adopted by other industries.
Riku AaltoThe chairman of the industrial union said that the employers’ representatives have refused to take sharply rising consumer prices into account when measuring salary increases.
“Our patience is at an end. At this stage of the collective bargaining round, it is clear that we cannot make progress with negotiations,” he commented. press release on Monday.
“Rising prices challenge workers’ ability to cope with daily costs. Salary increases are needed because living is more expensive. People have to be able to get by on their wages.”
Teollisuusliitto, together with other member unions of the Central Confederation of Trade Unions (SAK), announced in December that they would apply for five percent salary increases for this year.
Disagreements between employer and employee organizations will continue under the guidance of a national mediator on Wednesday.
Jarkko RuohoniemiCEO of employers in the technology industry, told Helsingin Sanomat on Monday that the employers have made all possible concessions in the negotiations without, however, excessively weakening the companies’ competitiveness.
“We are talking about our concerns about companies’ competitiveness. We cannot make any more concessions to move forward without jeopardizing it. The demands of the other side are so harsh that we cannot give in to them.
According to the daily newspaper, new strike warnings are expected perhaps already this week. Service Union United (PAM) and Transport Union (AKT) have already announced that they are preparing for industrial action in cooperation with Teollisuusliitto.
Aleksi Teivainen โ HT
Source: The Nordic Page