29.5.2020Local government deal struck, finally
All parties to the local government collective agreement accepted the deal on Thursday 28 May. The long and difficult negotiation marathon has finally reached an outcome with a new agreement in place.
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8.5.2020Proposal for a deal in local government collective agreement rejected
The latest attempt to reach a deal in the local government collective agreement failed. Just before 1 May, two unions turned down the proposal put forward by the National Conciliator, whereas other unions involved would have accepted it.
5.5.2020Finnish state alcohol monopoly to promote supply chain worker’s rights in tandem with the trade unions
The Finnish state owned alcoholic beverages retail monopoly Alko has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Service Union United PAM and the global union IUF to promote respect for worker rights in the company's international supply chain.
4.5.2020Polish Elektrobudowa court case finally over after more than eight years
The long time court case between the Finnish Electrical Workers' Union and Polish company Elektrobudowa SA ended in March with an out-of-court settlement.
8.4.2020Local government sector collective bargaining still fully open
Conciliation did not help bring about a local government collective agreement. The existing agreement expired at the end of March, but there has been no major progress in the negotiations so far.
7.4.2020New collective agreement for the state sector
A new collective agreement for the state sector came into effect at the beginning of April.
3.4.2020Employment crisis follows closely on the heels of coronavirus crisis
Redundancies and temporary lay-offs due to the coronavirus pandemic are rising at an alarming pace.
20.3.2020Labour market organisations propose to provisionally make the temporarily lay-offs more flexible and unemployment security stronger
The process involving temporarily lay-offs should be provisionally conducted swiftly in private companies, the Finnish labour market organisations are proposing.
20.3.2020Coronavirus effect on the collective bargaining round
The Coronavirus pandemic is having an effect on the ongoing collective bargaining round, too. Agreements in industry and private services are more or less ready or approaching a decision, but very much open in the public services.
13.3.2020Income differences between employees and CEOs have risen dramatically in just one year
There is clear evidence that the income gap between employees and publicly listed company chief executives has widened significantly in the past year. Now, a private sector employee must work for 47 days to earn what a major listed company CEO earns in a day. A year before, it took 34 days' work.
3.3.2020Collective bargaining in industry and private services finally moves forward, public sector is still awaiting results
By now, most of the industry sectors have agreed upon new collective agreements. For example, the Industrial Union announced on 24 February that they have reached a resolution in negotiations for all of their collective agreements in the technology sector.
25.2.2020Sawmills and plywood factories back to work following new collective agreement
Unpaid work will now end in the mechanical forestry industry also, the Industrial Union says. The new collective agreement for sawmills and plywood factories drops the notorious 24 annual unpaid working hours, which was effectively steamrolled into collective agreements in 2016 by Finland's then right-wing Government.
20.2.2020Press journalists’ new collective agreement replaces the 24 unpaid annual working hours with 7.5 hours of paid training
The press journalists' new collective agreement follows the general line of pay rises and ditching of the 24 unpaid extra working hours included in the old agreement.
18.2.2020PAM close deals on facilities services and retail trade
Just a day before a strike was due to start in the facilities services, the Service Union United PAM reached agreement on a new collective agreement in the sector on 17 February.
11.2.2020Pay deals end disputes in chemical and paper industry and for white-collar employees in the technology industry
Three major collective agreement conflicts have ended in agreement. Now there are collective agreements in the chemical and paper industry and for white-collar employees in the technology industry. The pay rise approximates 3.3 per cent generally and with 25 month agreements.
3.2.2020Partial solution in the long lasting industry electricians strike
The long and complicated electricians strike took a step towards a solution. The Board of the Finnish Electrical Workers' Union accepted on 30 January company level agreements with Konecranes and Valmet Automotive.
27.1.2020New wave of industrial action to begin
A new series of industrial action is set to begin from Monday 27 January onwards. The Industrial Union and Trade Union Pro have announced strikes in the mechanical forestry industry and energy sector. The paper industry is also heading towards a strike.
10.1.2020The long shadow of 2016 makes collective bargaining difficult
The PM Sipilä right-wing Government drastic actions in the labour market some years ago casts a long and dark shadow today over this year’s collective bargaining round.
7.1.2020Technology industry to get 3.3 per cent pay rise
After several months of negotiations the new collective agreement for the technology industry was accepted on Saturday 4 January. It will bring a 3.3 per cent pay increase and the agreement is for 25 months.
18.12.2019Union struggle prevents pay cuts in the City of Turku
The long struggle concerning terms of work in the City of Turku owned food and janitorial services company Arkea were finally resolved at the beginning of December.
5.12.2019Pay rise remains unresolved, industry strikes to follow
The Industrial Union has announced a strike from 9 to 11 December. It will cover 35,000 employees from the technology, chemical, wood product and special branches sectors.
29.11.2019The postal strike is over and a new collective agreement reached
A new collective agreement for postal workers ends the escalating strike wave.
21.11.2019The National Conciliator’s proposal to end the postal strike totally ignored the core issue
There is no solution yet in the postal services strike.
20.11.2019Further solidarity industrial action in sight due to the postal services strike
Many unions have announced plans to take industrial action in support of the collective bargaining process in the ongoing postal strike. The Finnish Post and Logistics Union PAU strike in the state owned postal service company Posti began on Monday 11 November.