Employers Would Have Accepted the Settlement Proposal: “The Industrial Union’s Decision is a Major Disappointment”
The Technology Industry Employers of Finland would have accepted National Conciliator Anu Sajavaara’s settlement proposal to resolve the labor dispute concerning employees in the technology industry. However, as the Industrial Union rejected the proposal, strikes will begin on Monday, February 10.
National Conciliator Anu Sajavaara presented the settlement proposal Saturday, February 8, and the parties responded on Sunday at 18:00. After extensive discussions, the board of the Technology Industry Employers of Finland approved the proposal, but the Industrial Union rejected it.
As a result, the strike in the technology industry will begin on the night between Sunday and Monday. The Industrial Union has issued three additional strike warnings, with planned strikes set to take place from February 10–14, 17–21, and 24–28. Furthermore, the union has imposed a ban on overtime and shift changes, which started on January 13 and will continue until Sunday, March 2, at midnight. Mediation will continue on Wednesday, February 12.
– The cost level of the proposal carried a risk of weakening cost competitiveness, but considering the challenging labor market situation, we decided after careful deliberation to accept the proposal. On the other hand, the settlement proposal would have significantly improved employees’ purchasing power, which is why the Industrial Union’s decision is a major disappointment, says Jarkko Ruohoniemi, CEO of the Technology Industry Employers of Finland.
The negotiations for a new collective agreement began in mid-September, and mediation of the labor dispute started in November.
– Traditionally, wage agreements have been negotiated at a level that both supports employees’ purchasing power and safeguards cost competitiveness. Now, however, the trade unions have attempted to force us into accepting a solution that would further worsen the already concerning state of export companies and employment.
The Settlement Proposal Included a Three-Year Wage Agreement
The settlement proposal contained a three-year wage agreement, under which wage adjustments were to be agreed upon primarily at the local level each contract year. If no local agreement was reached, wages would have been adjusted according to a predefined framework.
According to the settlement proposal, the wage adjustment framework consisted of a general increase and a company- or workplace-specific component:
- Under the framework, employees would have received a 1.5% general increase and a 0.5% company- or workplace-specific component no later than April 1, 2025, or from the beginning of the next payroll period thereafter. The employer would have distributed the company- or workplace-specific component according to union guidelines.
- In the second contract year, wages would have been increased by a 1.8% general increase and a 0.7% company- or workplace-specific component no later than March 1, 2026, or from the beginning of the next payroll period thereafter. The company- and workplace-specific component would have been allocated in line with union guidelines.
- In the third contract year, wages would have been increased by a 1.9% general increase and a 0.6% company- or workplace-specific component no later than March 1, 2027, or from the beginning of the next payroll period thereafter. The company- and workplace-specific component would have been distributed according to union guidelines.
The proposal included a termination option for the third year. The parties would have assessed the economic and employment outlook for the technology industry by the end of August 2026. Based on this assessment, either party would have had the option to terminate the agreement early, ending it on November 30, 2026.
Support Strikes at Ports and Railways Next Week
The Trade Union Pro has also announced a strike from February 24 to 28, accompanied by a broad ban on additional work, overtime, and shift changes, which will remain in effect until Friday, February 28. Mediation with Trade Union Pro will continue on Tuesday, February 11.
Additionally, AKT, SMU, and JHL have announced support strikes and blockades at all Finnish ports and railways from February 10 to 14. The Finnish Construction Trade Union will also support the strike throughout next week.
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