The first harsh penalties for illegal industrial action: “The Government wants to keep workers obedient with the threat of huge costs”

The Labour Court of Finland sentenced on Friday 19 September the Finnish Aviation Union IAU to pay heavy penalties for a walkout that the court ruled as illegal. This is the first penalty fine ruling after the Finnish Government’s legislative reform that greatly increased the penalty fines for illegal strikes.

The Finnish Aviation Union IAU and its three branches were sentenced on Friday by the Labour Court of Finland to pay penalties of almost EUR 67,000 for a walkout at the Helsinki Airport.

Legislation on industrial peace was changed last spring so that penalties for illegal strikes became significantly higher than before. The President of the Trade Union for the Public and Welfare Sectors JHL, Håkan Ekström, says that the Finnish Government wants to use penalties to keep workers and trade unions on their toes when they defend their rights.

“The real objective of the amendment to the law is to prevent industrial action. The Government wants to keep workers obedient with the threat of huge costs, but we are not going to give up. We will continue to defend our members’ terms and conditions of employment with whatever means are necessary,” Ekström emphasises.

IAU organised in December 2024 a walkout because Finnair considered terminating the employment contracts of two shop stewards. The reasons that Finnair gave for the planned terminations included a claim that the employees had disclosed trade secrets. According to IAU, the documents were connected to an ongoing dispute on terms and conditions of employment.

The Labour Court was not unanimous about the penalties and had to vote on them. Some of the court members would have ordered significantly lower compensatory fines.

Ekström reminds that arguments about terms and conditions of employment are not in anyone’s best interest. He also stresses that trade unions have to guard well the position of shop stewards.

“Shop stewards need to be able to take action if a suspicion arises that terms and conditions of employment are not observed. Trade Union JHL does not leave its members alone despite the legislative change that was based on employers’ wishes. We continue fighting for terms and conditions of employment also today.”

More information:

Håkan Ekström, President of JHL, 040 828 2865