The Second Strike Week of the Year Begins – Mediation in the Labor Dispute Did Not Progress
The mediation of the labor dispute between the Technology Industry Employers of Finland and the Industrial Union continued on Saturday, February 1st, but the negotiations ended without a resolution. The second strike week of the year, announced by the Industrial Union and the Trade Union Pro, begins on Monday, February 3rd.
Industrial Union and Trade Union Pro workers have been on strike in technology industry companies from January 27th to February 1st, and the second strike week begins on Monday, February 3rd. The strike will continue until next Saturday unless an agreement on wage increases is reached before then. Mediation in the labor dispute will resume with the Industrial Union on Wednesday, February 5th, while the next mediation session with Trade Union Pro has not yet been scheduled.
The Industrial Union has announced nearly four weeks of strikes this year, supported by several SAK-affiliated trade unions, which are also disrupting Finnish companies’ international shipments by blocking their products from reaching ports. In December, member companies of the Technology Industry of Finland faced one-day strikes over a six-day period.
Labour market negotiations have been ongoing for over four months, but the parties remain far apart on wage increases. While there is already consensus on textual matters, the wage increase demands from employee representatives remain so high that they pose significant challenges to Finland’s competitiveness and growth opportunities.
“Our goal has been to reach a solution that meets the objectives of both parties – improving purchasing power while maintaining competitiveness. However, continued strikes further weaken the competitiveness of companies,” says Jarkko Ruohoniemi, CEO of the Technology Industry Employers of Finland.
Reaching a solution requires mutual and responsible understanding of the situation faced by technology industry companies. Demand has been declining for a long time, the number of layoffs and restructuring negotiations has increased, and no turnaround is in sight. Through these strikes, the Industrial Union is attempting to force employers into wage increases that would weaken competitiveness.
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