Approval by both governments would end the strike that has halted the vast majority of train traffic – including all local and long-distance passenger traffic – in Finland since Monday, March 20.
The state railway company VR is not operating any trains today despite the verdict. YLE wrote that the company’s spokesperson estimates that the normalization of train traffic will take about 24 hours after the approval of the temporary agreement, and that the first trains will return to traffic on Friday morning.
An attempt was made to resolve the labor dispute in February. Both sides have described the negotiations as difficult.
The trade union has not only rejected the two proposals presented by the national mediator, but its representative body has also shot down the compromise reached by the advisory boards of the two labor market organizations at the end of last week. It has defined welfare at work as the main point of contention in the negotiations and demands, among other things, an extension of the drivers’ weekly rest period.
Palta has estimated that the requirements would exceed the so-called general line, which according to employer organizations is determined based on collective agreements reached in key export industries.
Aleksi Teivainen – HT
Source: The Nordic Page