Tag: Trade union
The strike of cleaning and property maintenance services expanded at midnight
Organizations have had difficulty finding common ground, especially when it comes to salary increases. While PAM had rejected the first settlement proposal on the grounds that a percentage-based increase would not have sufficiently benefited low-wage workers, it also rejected the €91 increase offered in the previous proposal as insufficient. Annika Rönni-SällinenPAM president, said on Wednesday […]
RAU and Palta are considering an agreement that could end the railway strike in Finland
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 […]
Kurvinen is “proud” of the claim that meat producers are secretly supported
Minister of Agriculture and Forestry Antti Kurvinen (Keskus) told Ilkka-Pohjalainen last week that he is still against raising fees in the current economic situation and admitted that they will have to be raised at some point. “We are not burdening the profitability of these struggling farms with additional fees,” he stated. The stewards of the […]
Parisa Liljestrand (M): I am uncompromising about “arm’s length distance”
One of the things that the Government has highlighted as particularly important in cultural policy is the principle of an arm’s length distance between politics and the content of culture. A general definition of arm’s length is that politics sets the framework with money and organization, but does not interfere with the content and artistic […]
A four-day work week is profitable in some fields, the professor tells YLE
However, Härmä told public radio that the effects of the four-day work week should be monitored for more than six months – one to two years – as the employees’ motivation may decrease after the initial enthusiasm. “It would show how long productivity can remain unchanged after reducing working hours. The danger of shortening the […]
Why employers who breach employment contracts are not punished
In Iceland, the situation is that employers who breach employment contracts do not have to pay any penalties. Even if a trade union gets involved and it can be proven that absolute wage theft has taken place, the employer does not have to pay anything more than the unpaid wages – and that without interest. […]
The Ministry of Labor is investigating the possibilities of shortening working hours
The UK recently concluded a six-month trial of the four-day working week, involving nearly 3,000 workers and dozens of employers across a range of industries. More than 90 percent, or 56, of the 61 companies that participated said they intended to continue implementing the shorter work week after the trial, and 18 said the shift […]
Efling members voted and accepted the settlement proposal
Today at 10 am, the vote on accepting or rejecting the settlement prepared by Ástráður Haraldsson, state mediator in the collective dispute between the Efling trade union and the Confederation of Icelandic Entrepreneurs SA, ended. In the vote, the turnout was only 23% of all eligible voters, and 84.9% of members voted in favor, i.e. […]
Voting on the new wage proposal lasts until Wednesday
On Friday, March 3, at 12:00 noon, voting began on the settlement proposal prepared by Ástráður Haraldsson, state mediator in the collective dispute between the Efling trade union and the Confederation of Icelandic Entrepreneurs SA. Voting is ongoing and will end on Wednesday, March 8 at 10:00. If Efling trade union members and SA members […]
An agreement with the bus drivers has been found, bus traffic will return to normal
“The strikes will end immediately. We have agreed that the return to work will take place as soon as possible, but no later than Monday morning on the first shift”, he stated for the broadcasting company in the dying minutes of the day. Kokko described the end result as a reasonable compromise from the drivers’ […]
The mediator presented a new proposal
Ástráður Haraldsson, state mediator working on a new wage agreement with Efling and SA unions, called a press conference at 10:00 today. During the meeting, he said that representatives of the Confederation of Employers SA and Efling trade unions approved his new proposal for mediation, and therefore strikes and breaks at work will be suspended […]
Work ban approved
The overwhelming majority of members of the Employers’ Confederation approved a work ban for members of the Efling trade union. It will apply from noon on March 2. The managing director of SA says that this is a defensive action against Efling’s strikes. Almost 88% of eligible voters took part in the vote, and over […]
The government’s conviction about the new bill will make it possible for companies to recruit foreign labor more easily
A new government proposal to make it easier for Danish companies to recruit foreign labor was presented to the Danish Parliament on Tuesday. Economy Minister Troels Lund Poulsen is optimistic that the new law will give the country the boost it needs to overcome what is expected to be a difficult year – conversely at […]
The government’s conviction about the new bill will make it possible for companies to recruit foreign labor more easily
A new government proposal to make it easier for Danish companies to recruit foreign labor was presented to the Danish Parliament on Tuesday. Economy Minister Troels Lund Poulsen is optimistic that the new law will give the country the boost it needs to overcome what is expected to be a difficult year – conversely at […]
Nigeria demands that Finland end the Lahti-authorized armed rebellion in southeastern Nigeria
Ekpa’s exact role in the separatist group was unclear, but over the past 18 months he has called on millions of people in southeastern Nigeria to join anti-government protests. Ekpa is a feared figure in Nigeria, and the forces he leads have allegedly threatened people who disobey the Monday curfew imposed by the separatists. According […]
Efling suspends strikes for the duration of negotiations
The leaders of the trade unions Efling and the Confederation of Employers SA gathered this morning with a positive attitude towards negotiations. Union president Efling said the actions the unions have taken are starting to show results. Yesterday, just before nine o’clock in the evening, an agreement was reached between the warring parties that the […]
Announcement of further strikes
The trade union Efling has announced further strikes. The announcement includes i.a. people employed in cleaning companies, security guards and all those working in hotels and boarding houses. Voting will start on Thursday, February 16 and will last until Monday, February 20. The information will be updated on a regular basis. Based on an article […]
Strikes in grocery stores and logistics centers were suspended after the trade agreement
Annika Rönni-SällinenPAM chairman, expressed his satisfaction with the outcome of the “complex and difficult” negotiations. “We managed to negotiate an agreement that we can be satisfied with. Our long-term goal of wage increases in euros was realized. The euro-denominated wage increases will especially benefit low-wage earners, he commented press release late last night. “The negotiations […]
Strikes in Finnish supermarkets start on Thursday
“PAM and Kauppaliitto are far from each other in their views – also on issues other than remuneration”, Annika Rönni-SällinenPAM’s chairman stated press release on Tuesday. The trade union continues to pursue wage increases of around 200 euros. The trade union stated in its press release that it had put forward several proposals to resolve […]
In the Immigration Office’s new strategy, the customer is in first place
The Finnish Immigration Service aims and comprehensively improves customers’ journeys in immigration together with other relevant organizations. The Finnish Immigration Service’s goals for the years 2023–2027 are: Our work is of high quality, our processes are smooth and efficient, and our methods of operation are predictable. Our customer experience is excellent. We constantly strive to […]
The court ruled that the strike was legal
The Reykjavik District Court ruled this afternoon that Efling’s strike was legal. So, despite opposition from the Icelandic Confederation of Employers/SA, trade unions will be able to go on strike, which is planned for February 7. Therefore, Efling members working in the Íslandhotels hotel chain will stop working at noon. three on […] Article Court […]
Teollisuusliitto cancels strikes after chemical and technology industry contracts
The technology industry may still face Trade Union Pro and YTN’s strike. Helsington Sanomat on Sunday wrote that the agreement guarantees this year’s general 3.5 percent salary increase for employees in the technology sector and a one-time additional bonus of 400 euros to be paid in March. Salary increases in the industry will continue next […]
The labor dispute in the retail trade escalates – the employers asked to stop collecting union membership fees
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 […]
The state mediator is looking for a solution
The collective agreement between Efling and SA expired on November 1, 2022. So far, no agreement has been reached on a new agreement. The dispute between the trade union Efling and the Confederation of Employers SA means that the members of the trade union Efling have not received a pay increase. Most of the remaining […]
Magdalena Andersson (S): The government has gone further than the agreement with Turkey requires
Social Democrats party leader Magdalena Andersson is interviewed about the NATO process, what the Social Democrats want with nuclear power and what she wants to do in the meantime in opposition. This week, Turkish President Erdoğan said that Sweden should not expect Turkey’s support with the NATO application, after first a doll representing Erdoğan was […]
The state mediator is not afraid of losing the trust of trade unions
The state mediator is not afraid that he has lost the trust of the trade unions, despite the reaction to his offer of mediation in the dispute between the Efling trade union and the Confederation of Employers (SA). The proposal was made by a mediator, following unprecedentedly difficult negotiations. Efling refuses to submit electoral roll […]
The state mediator is not afraid of losing the trust of trade unions
The state mediator is not afraid that he has lost the trust of the trade unions, despite the reaction to his offer of mediation in the dispute between the Efling trade union and the Confederation of Employers (SA). The proposal was made by a mediator, following unprecedentedly difficult negotiations. Efling refuses to submit electoral roll […]
PAM announces that it is ready to strike in 185 grocery stores and logistics centers
– The trade union has been reluctant to discuss salary increases that would secure the purchasing power of employees. stated Annika Rönni-SällinenChairman of PAM. “Retail businesses are making good results, while their workers have to cut corners to make sure they’re paid enough to live on. Employees have the right to an appropriate salary increase.” […]
Monday’s papers: Supermarket strike, unused Covid medicine and an injured member of parliament
The industrial action planned by the service trade union PAM may affect more than 180 supermarkets across Finland.
Educa 2023 brings together the Finnish education and training sector at the Helsinki Fair Center
Speakers in the international program include, among others, the chairman of the Teaching Trade Union OAJ, Katariina Murto; Minister of Education, Lee Andersson; and professor of education at the University of Helsinki, Minna Huotilainen. On the online platform, visitors can follow the program and talk with the exhibitors who appeared at the Educa event. For […]
The strikes threaten Finland’s most important export activities
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 […]
Unions are still working on new collective agreements
The president of the VR trade union says that everyone is trying to come up with solutions, but time is undeniably running out and the continuation of negotiations will probably be decided tomorrow. Currently, the conciliation meeting with the government negotiator is not on the agenda of VR, LÍV, the confederation of industrial and technical […]
“It’s not a result we can completely accept”
The new collective agreement disappoints Sólveig Anna Jónsdóttir, president of Efling, who says that the wage increases included in it are not acceptable to the members of the Efling trade union. A short-term wage agreement was signed yesterday, agreeing to increase salaries to ISK 52,000 for members of the 17 member unions. However, there are […]
He wants to guarantee a salary increase as soon as possible
Trade union members will meet again today to negotiate wages. Yesterday, negotiations were paused to allow each union to discuss the proposals. Vilhjálmur Birgisson, president of the SGS Workers’ Federation, says it is important to conclude the negotiations as soon as possible. Vilhjálmur says he is optimistic about today’s talks. “I’m going to try to […]
Business Round-Up: International students contribute far more than they take, study claims
Denmark benefits financially from foreign students, shows a major analysis carried out by Damvad Analytics on behalf of the Swedish Engineers’ Association. Together, they contributed DKK 26.7 billion to the nation’s coffers between 2007 and 2020, with technical and natural science courses, such as engineering, accounting for DKK 12 billion. Over the same 13-year period, […]
Paralyzed consumers are bad news for the holiday trade in Finland
Only seven percent of the respondents estimate that the time is favorable for making expensive purchases. Respondents also said they were unlikely to loosen their purse strings anytime soon, with only eight percent saying they plan to increase and 50 percent plan to cut their spending over the next 12 months. Lasse CorinAktia’s chief economist […]
This week’s editorial: Pariah states and individuals
It is truly sad when the leaders of this world lie in broad daylight. Putin does it, Trump did it, and their relatives and lieutenants do it. They can’t be trusted – it’s that simple. Fact deniers, lie perpetratorsSøren Kjær, a Danish parliamentarian in the 19th century, became famous when his opponent in a debate […]
One in three Finns cannot get by on their salary at the moment
The prevailing inflation is also reflected in salary increase requests. Between September and November alone, 17 percent of Finns have asked for a salary increase. Half of them did not receive a salary increase. Before September, 15 percent of Finns asked their employer for a salary increase. Next year, 43 percent plan to ask for […]
Finnair is canceling around 100 flights due to the exclusion of cabin crew
On Saturday, AKT accused Finnair of bad management, personnel policy and the use of dismissals to threaten employees in connection with its plan to subcontract in-flight flights from Thailand and the United States. “Finnair openly blackmails its own employees in order to cut wages” stated Ismo KokkoChairman of the ACP. Yesterday, the airline announced that […]
LO: The managers cannot get more than the workers
Ahead of next year’s wage movement, LO has come forward with demands for a wage increase of 4.4 percent and a low-wage initiative. At the same time, inflation is over nine percent. Why should LO’s members accept such a large real wage reduction? Susanna Gideonsson says that LO takes responsibility for not driving inflation with […]
Maria Löfgren was elected president of Akava, she will be the first woman to lead the trade union
The Akava trade union union elected a new chairman after the former chairman Sture Fjäder resigned in the parliamentary elections.
More than 1,000 employees of Kesko’s logistics center are organizing a walkout due to the delay in salary negotiations
The chairman of the Service Employees’ Union described the Trade Union’s decision to postpone negotiations as “arrogant to avoid responsibility”.
Economists welcome the working group’s proposal, but doubt political commitment
Although the principles are commendable, they would require the kind of political commitment that is not necessarily possible in the current situation, economists assessed in a panel discussion organized by the Ministry of Finance on Wednesday. Päivi PuontiETLA Taloustikkumas’ forecasting director emphasized that decision-makers should understand that responsible management of public finances is not an […]
Harbor workers are considering seceding from Efling
According to mbl.is, a group of port workers plans to detach from the Efling trade union and form their own. They met at the Þjóðminjasafn (National Museum) in Reykjavík where these issues were discussed. Efling members are about three hundred people working for the shipping companies Eimskip and Samskip. Aðalsteinn Björnsson is one of them, […]
Election gathering: Sometimes the kingmakers Dansk Folkeparti and Radikale watch from the sidelines with little hope of influencing
Every Danish government back to the 1970s has been formed on the basis of a majority consisting of either the Radicals or the Danish People’s Party. But none of the ‘kingmakers’ are doing well in the polls and look set to become part of the next majority. Both will likely be frozen outDF (2.9 per […]
The Independence Party wants to abolish compulsory membership of trade unions
The coalition partner claims that the draft law of the Independence Party (Sjálfstæðisflokkurinn) on trade union freedom undermines the stability of trade unions and weakens the position of workers. The first mover of the bill says that, on the contrary, it strengthens the position of workers and trade unions. All members of the Independence Party, […]
First Minister: Independence ‘essential’ to Scotland’s prosperity
It contains: rejoining the European Union (EU) to benefit from and promote the vast European Single Market, helping to create a different route to the UK system reformed energy market, the goal of which is to provide safe and reliable cheap energy maintaining the free movement of people without a passport across the UK and […]
Ragnar, Sólveig and Vilhjálmur drop their candidacy for the ASÍ board
Ragnar Þór Ingólfsson, chairman of VR, Sólveig Anna Jónsdóttir, chairwoman of Efling and Vilhjálmur Birgisson, chairman of the Trade Union Association, have canceled their candidacy for the central board of the Icelandic Trade Union Federation. They are currently considering resigning from their unions’ membership of ASÍ, but in an interview with one of the news […]
Offer another Covid-booster to working-age people, to a trade union group, to a business lobby
The groups say that offering a second boost to working-age workers would help limit the amount of sick leave workers take while reducing harm and costs to employers.
The director of Valvira expresses his concern about the impending strikes in intensive care
The social and health trade union Tehy and the Nurses’ Association Super have announced their intention to organize four-day strikes in the intensive care units of both Turku University Central Hospital (TYKS) and Oulu University Hospital. The previous one was originally supposed to start tomorrow, but last week the Minister of Labor postponed it by […]
The nurses’ unions issued a strike warning in South Helsinki
The strike of the trade unions SuPer and Tehy will affect home care workers on September 6-9.
Monday’s papers: Income differences, living in Helsinki, petrol prices
The incomes of many low-wage workers have not kept pace with the rising cost of living in the city, Helsingin sanomat newspaper report on Monday. There are currently more than 15,000 people receiving Kela’s general housing allowance in Helsinki, whose only source of income, according to HS, is salary or business income. This means that […]
Key labor market organizations reject the idea of combining tax cuts with wage contracts
Riku AaltoThe chairman of Teollisuusliitto met on Tuesday with Saariko’s officials and gave an unequivocal message that the trade union of about 200,000 members “is not interested” in making the tax cuts conditional on the results of the collective bargaining negotiations. “The government is doing what it’s doing on tax cuts, but it has no […]
Efling does not pay taxes on employees’ wages
Trade union Efling has not paid taxes on wages and pensions to the IRS since the company’s chief financial officer quit early in the summer. Fréttastof’s journalists spoke to a group of former employees who are still being paid due to their notice period. They claim that no official payments have been made to the […]
The trade union urges Helsinki to negotiate salary changes with its own personnel
The Union of Public and Private Employees (Jyty) called on the city of Helsinki to start consulting its own professionals in reforming the wage payment system. The payroll errors are due to the fact that the city of Helsinki adopted the automated payroll system of the technology company Sarastia. The salary of city employees has […]
Kuluttajaliitto: Taxi Act reforms cause 40 percent price increases, worse service
More and more people have complained to Kuluttajaliitto about taxi issues after the sector’s legal reforms began to affect major changes in their introduction in 2018, says the non-governmental organization. Consumers have reached out with complaints about the availability of transport, pricing arrangements and the safety of taxi service providers across the country. According to […]
Danish Capital in 2022: Time to revise the implementation of Brexit
Like the inversion of Mike Campbell in Hemingway’s ‘The Sun Also Rises’, Britain suddenly ended up with a hard Brexit and then gradually. The big bang was the vote six years ago, but it did not have to mean an absolutist clean break. It was instead the result of an accumulation of constant frameworks and […]
The nurses union files a report with the police about unpaid wages
The social and health trade union Tehy has filed a criminal complaint with the police regarding unpaid wages to members of the City of Helsinki. The trade union stated in its press release that the salary problems have continued for months and have affected several thousand employees in the capital region. A particular problem has […]
Top government officials receive percentage increases over the overall contract
As reported by RÚV, the President of the Icelandic Trade Union Confederation (ASÍ) Drífa Snædal finds it strange that members of parliament, government ministers and the president receive annual wages based on percentages that far exceed the same percentage awarded to the Icelandic working class. The salaries of these government officials and other top officials […]
Finally, Parliament lowers the non-EU workers’ wage threshold
The minimum wage that a non-EU worker must use to be employed in Denmark has been officially lowered. For the benefit of Danish companies Members of parliament backed the plans to lower the limit from 448,000 to 375,000 kroner on Wednesday. This should make it possible for far more non-EU workers to be employed in […]
The trade unions signed a collective agreement in the private social sector
The Association of Nurses (SuPer), the Healthcare Trade Union (Tehy) and the Private Sector Trade Union (Erto) announced on Wednesday that they have reached a collective agreement in the private social sector. The trade unions are members of the negotiating organization Sote ry, which negotiates a collective agreement in the private social sector with the […]
Trade unions, employer groups resolve labor disputes in the municipal sector
Collective bargaining negotiations between the municipal associations and the employers’ groups to resolve the months-long labor dispute in the sector have ended, and both parties have reached an agreement. The new agreement will cover about 300,000 municipal employees, which will include a 2% pay rise from June. The agreement also includes a five-year wage program […]
The finance minister hints at tax cuts to compensate for rising prices
The decline in living standards will not make the campaign theme very popular in next spring’s parliamentary elections, which the parties of the current center-left coalition are well aware of. With prices rising as much as six per cent, wages just a couple of per cent this year and mortgage rates rising, the finance minister […]
The municipal sector will find a preliminary agreement on working conditions for hundreds of thousands
The organizations announced yesterday that they would not shed light on the content of the preliminary agreement until possible approvals. The solution applies to most occupational groups in the municipal sector, including teachers, early childhood educators, bus drivers, library workers and some social and health care workers – but not members of the Association of […]
The Fossil Free Transport Forum focused on the green shift in heavy transport
In May 2021, the government adopted a resolution on a roadmap for fossil-free transport, listing measures to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from road transport. The goal is to halve transport emissions by 2030 from 2005 levels and achieve zero emissions by 2045. Road transport accounts for 95% of domestic transport emissions. For heavy vehicles, the […]
APN podcast: The Finnish “market” tradition
Eurozone inflation accelerated to a record 8.1 per cent in May, and this week’s All Points North examines how Finland can cope with rising prices. "Now the big question is how will wage earners adjust to this higher inflation, will there be additional wage increases, how will companies react, what does that mean for collective […]
The Economist is demanding 5 percent wage increases to curb accelerating inflation
Consumer prices have started to rise as a result of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, and together with inflation, the purchasing power of Finns is falling. Euro area inflation accelerated to a record 8.1 per cent in May from a year earlier, following inflation peaks in March and April at 7.5 and 7.4 per cent, respectively. […]
Negotiations in the municipal sector will end without an agreement, more strikes likely
Negotiations between the municipal associations and the employers’ groups to resolve a months-long labor dispute in the sector have ended without an agreement. The nursing unions rejected the settlement proposal earlier this month, although other organizations on both sides of the dispute were willing to accept the terms of the agreement. Chairman of one of […]
The working group coordinates the distribution infrastructure for new alternative transport fuels
The distribution of new alternative fuels instead of fossil fuels plays a key role in the greening of transport. In order for households and companies across Finland to be able to switch to electricity and gas traffic, a nationwide public charging and refueling network must be easily available. – As the popularity of electric cars […]
Sweden’s Teachers – the new teachers’ union was formed today
Sweden’s Teachers will be Sweden’s third largest trade union after Unionen and Kommunal, and Sacos’ largest member union. The association is formed through a merger of Lärarnas Riksförbund and Lärarförbundet. The Teachers’ Union, which is the larger of the two unions, has long strived to merge with the National Union of Teachers, which organizes only […]
Concerns about a cyber attack will increase cash withdrawals
According to an April survey commissioned by Nosto ATMs, part of the Norwegian Nokas Group, more than a third of Finns have already withdrawn or plan to withdraw extra cash due to the situation in Ukraine. Most have raised an average of € 500 aside and for use as needed. Almost half of the respondents […]
Thursday’s newspapers: The value of the security promise, the municipal wage struggle and the climate impact of logging
The British Prime Minister landed in Finland on Wednesday to send a simple message: Britain would support Finland if it were attacked, regardless of Finland’s status as a member or non-member of NATO. The message came the day before the president Sauli Niinistö and the Prime Minister Sanna Marin (SDP) is expected to draw conclusions […]
Welfare sector says Finland wants more foreign labour
Welfare sector trade union JHL on Tuesday said its recent poll suggested that two-thirds of Finns support more labour-based immigration into the country. JHL is one of the trade unions involved in the recent municipal sector strike. JHL, the largest trade union for the welfare sector in Finland, said people in Finland are increasingly supportive […]
Thousands gather in Helsinki for a municipal march
About 3,000 municipal workers landed in Helsinki on Friday to take part in a demonstration march as part of a week-long nationwide labor struggle that began earlier this week. The unions said the frustration of workers was due to labor shortages that created stagnant wages and poor working conditions. More than 80,000 municipal employees, including […]
Municipal strikes would cut off traffic in Finland’s largest cities
The strikes of more than 80,000 municipal employees began on Tuesday in Finland’s largest cities. The strikes were due to growing frustration with the stagnation of workers ’wages and labor shortages. The municipal strikes began on Tuesday morning when municipal employers and employees could not reach an agreement on a new collective agreement covering 425,000 […]
Schools and kindergartens will close next week as the strike progresses
The week-long strike by municipal workers appears to continue from Tuesday, May 3rd Elina Pylkkänenan official in charge of the controversial conciliation committee said Friday he did not intend to ask the minister for a new postponement. The measure will lead to large-scale closures of schools, kindergartens and other services such as libraries and museums […]
Friday’s newspapers: Strike threat, Finnair’s problems and Tappara title
Helsingin sanomat newspaper reports Municipal workers in the metropolitan area will go on strike next week after a conciliation committee set up to unite unions and employers said on Thursday afternoon that the parties were too far apart and could not propose a new agreement. The agreement now seems a long way off, as employers […]
Strike on the shutters of schools and kindergartens in 10 Finnish cities next week
According to YLE, the strike covers a total of 81,000 employees in Espoo, Helsinki, Jyväskylä, Kauniainen, Kuopio, Oulu, Rovaniemi, Tampere, Turku and Vantaa. In the Helsinki metropolitan area alone, about 31,000 employees are on strike. The city of Helsinki decided on Wednesday that its Finnish-language schools would be closed due to the strike. Pylkkänen told […]
A nationwide strike in the municipal sector next week
The one-week municipal service, school and kindergarten strike will begin on May 3, unless a dispute is resolved. Public sector unions Juko, Jyty and JHL have issued a strike warning for the cities of Helsinki, Espoo, Kauniainen, Vantaa, Oulu, Rovaniemi, Jyväskylä, Tampere, Turku and Kuopio next week. Trade unions seek to put pressure on employers […]
UPM’s strike ends as a trade union, the employer approves the mediator’s proposal
The long-running labor dispute between the forest company UPM and the Paper Association has been resolved after both parties have agreed Leo Finlandmediator from the National Labor Conciliator’s Office. "I made a proposal that both parties were a little dissatisfied with," Finland said at a press conference on Friday afternoon. The four-year collective agreement will […]
Friday’s newspapers: Conciliation Committees, Import Administrators and State-Owned Companies in Russia
The ongoing public sector wage dispute is in the news again this week, and nurses lifted the strike – but are threatening mass layoffs instead. On Friday in Helsingin Sanomat dispute analysiswhich will look at the Conciliation Committee, which is meeting this week to try to find a solution. The committee is convened in disputes […]
Explanation: Russia’s actions, energy prices and trade unions are hampering investment in Finland
Only energy prices discourage more investment, with 49 per cent of respondents referring to them. Almost half of the respondents also estimate that the activities of trade unions and high labor costs prevent them from investing in Finland. Mikael PentikäinenThe CEO of Finnish Entrepreneurs was particularly disappointed with the influence of trade unions on the […]
Nurses’ unions will end the strike and prepare for stronger action, "collective redundancies"
Health care worker groups Tehy and SuPer have withdrawn from the nurses’ strike, which begins Wednesday, on the possibility that a new law will apparently be coming to force striking nurses back to work effectively. The governments of the organizations have decided that stronger industrial action is needed as the controversial patient safety law progressed […]
Retail drops face mask recommendation
The Confederation of Finnish Trade Unions and the Finnish Grocery Trade Association (PTY) demanded on Tuesday to abandon the recommendations to use masks in shops and stores. After about two years of recommending the use of protective equipment, the groups ’announcement came shortly after the Institute for Health and Welfare (THL) announced that it was […]
Nurses take to the streets, the strike by paperworkers continues
A wave of strikes hits Finland as people struggle with rising costs of living. Paper workers are on strike at UPM, municipal staff are struggling across the country – and a large nurses’ strike is exposing cracks in the Finnish healthcare system. This week’s episode of Yle News’s All Points North podcast will hear nurses […]
It’s time for Canada Infrastructure Bank to take back its public purpose
The Canadian Infrastructure Bank (CIB), a federal state financial institution, opened its doors five years ago with great promise, promising to invest $ 35 billion in investments for “the next generation of infrastructure that Canadians need.” But instead of investing public money in public services, CIB has instead privatized our water, transportation and electricity. For […]
The mediator will look for a new solution after the proposal is rejected
National Mediator Vuokko Piekkala is to discuss with both parties in the ongoing nursing strike this week, although no formal talks are planned. Last week, the unions rejected Piekkala’s proposal to end the dispute. Piekkala tweeted on Tuesday that the mediation work was "slow because it is difficult"but said meetings will be held this week […]
The municipal strike closes schools in four cities
The cities of Rovaniemi and Oulu, among others, have announced a possible strike by municipal employees, which would affect the opening hours of schools and kindergartens on Wednesday and Thursday. Collective bargaining between employers ‘representatives and municipal workers’ unions has stalled, and unions are now calling for a strike that threatens to shut down schools […]
Consumer authorities are investigating furniture retailers for misrepresentation "for sale" tariff
The Finnish Competition and Consumer Authority has launched an inquiry into misleading marketing practices in the furniture trade. Pricing practices and the length of discount periods have been a source of ongoing frustration for both authorities and smaller businesses for several years, but a new law coming into force next month is set to address […]
Trade union views: The future of work is flexible
In 1930, the British economist John M Keynes predicted that over time, technological developments would make us so much more productive that the working week would be reduced to 15 hours. We’re still not there. If His prophecy is to come true, there must be a fundamental change in the way we work. Keynes’ prediction […]
The Ministry of Health is preparing legislation that will force more nurses to work during the strike
The nurses ’strike, which began on Friday morning, could lead to serious delays in medical care, chief physicians in the six major hospital districts affected by the march have estimated. They say work can endanger the lives and health of patients and even lead to loss of life. Trade unions have negotiated with management for […]
Friday’s newspapers: Nursing strike begins, NATO support, Finnish favorite names
The strike of about 25,000 nurses and other health care workers will begin on Friday morning and is therefore at the forefront of several Finnish newspapers. The municipal trade unions Tehy and SuPer have called for an exclusion for six hospital districts: Helsinki and Uusimaa, Pirkanmaa, Southwest Finland, Northern Ostrobothnia, Northern Savonia and Central Finland. […]
The Finnish government is preparing a law on the concern caused by the nursing strike
Helsingin Sanomat on Thursday wrote preparatory work is being done by government officials, but it is uncertain whether it will lead to a government proposal to parliament or not. Satu KoskelaThe head of the department of the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health told the newspaper that it is possible to bring the legislation into […]
Vapaavuori deplores the Olympic Committee’s case of sexual harassment
Chairman of the Finnish Olympic Committee Jan Vapaavuori has admitted it "mistakes were made" in dealing with allegations of harassment by a former official Mika Lehtimäki and his subsequent renewal of the contract. Yle Sport reported earlier this week that Lehtimäki had received an internal warning last year after sending late-night text messages to two […]
Friday’s newspapers: International workers ‘struggles, tire price hike and ban on overtime by nurses’ unions
The integration of foreigners into the Finnish workforce has been an embarrassing problem for years. Unnecessary language requirements are often a problem, and some job seekers say they have been discriminated against. On Friday Helsingin Sanomat tells about this On the efforts of the municipality of Espoo to map and process the access of people […]
The teachers’ strike may close the capital’s schools in April
Trade unions representing school staff, including teachers, have issued a strike warning covering some 31,000 workers in the metropolitan area. The unions JUKO and JAU have sent a strike warning to the cities of Helsinki, Espoo, Vantaa and Kauniainen. Negotiations between trade unions and municipal and county employers (KT) broke down on 28 February. If […]
The ban on overtime and shift work in the public sector begins
Public sector workers have embarked on a week-long strike to draw attention to demands to improve pay and working conditions. The industrial struggle between the public sector unions JHL, Juko and Jyty began on Monday and will continue until Sunday 27 March. Despite the ban on overtime and shift work, employees continue to perform tasks […]
Healthcare unions are threatening to increase strikes
Both the Nurses’ Association (SuPer) and the Healthcare Trade Union (Tehy) have issued a new strike warning that could affect up to 13 hospital districts. The planned measure would be implemented from 1 to 15. April and would involve around 40,000 health professionals. "Negotiations have progressed poorly in recent days from a promising start. Some […]
