Anna LavikkalaThe trade union’s head of labor market affairs said the union cannot sit on the sidelines and passively oversee “proportionate” strikes aimed at employers amid collective bargaining.
“In this situation, employers simply have no other choice but to resort to measures outside the negotiation table,” he stated. press release.
The announcement came a day after the union announced gave a warning 16.-18. from the strike in February, which affected 415 workplaces, where a total of 26,000 employees and managers work. The strike would cover, among other things, all K-Citymarkets, Prismata and Lidl, as well as Kesko Logistiika’s terminals in Tampere, Turku, Kuopio and Oulu.
PAM said on Monday that the warning is an attempt to speed up ongoing collective bargaining negotiations in the retail sector. Efforts to resolve the escalating dispute continue today under the guidance of a national mediator.
“We are now in a situation where negotiations do not appear to be progressing in any area and so we hope that the strike warnings will signal to employers more widely that the labor movement is collectively seeking pay rises,” comment Annika Rönni-SällinenChairman of PAM.
PAM has also banned overtime, shifts and shift transfers in all retail stores and logistics centers starting Wednesday, February 1.
The trade union previously described the strikes as irresponsible.
“Repeated strike waves only delay wage increases and settlements, because there is no mediation or negotiations during a strike. They also mean the end of jointly implemented reforms and projects related to working conditions for a long time. The pressure caused by the strikes is the opposite of what the unions imagine they will achieve,” Lavikkala considered.
He added that the strikes also increase food waste in stores.
The first of the strikes in the trade sector is planned to be held in 25 logistics centers on February 6-9, the second in more than 160 trade workplaces, including several hypermarkets in large cities, on February 9-11. Before the measure announced yesterday, there will also be a strike affecting the operations of 47 logistics centers on February 13-16.
Teollisuusliitto is also organizing a secondary strike in support of PAM.
Finland is currently facing a massive strike wave, as trade unions in various industries strive to make progress in collective bargaining and secure wage increases, which they believe are necessary to maintain the purchasing power of wage earners in an inflationary environment. For example, Teollisuusliitto has published three strike warnings in the chemical and technology industries, the first of which started today with 50 jobs employing around 7,200 people.
Aleksi Teivainen – HT
Source: The Nordic Page