Industrial Union announces 'large-scale' strikes in mid-February

Affecting around 60,000 workers, the union says the three-day strikes will bring a large part of Finland's industrial sector to a standstill.

Industrial Union chair Riku Aalto, middle-aged man wearing rectangular glasses, a blue collared shirt and dark sports jacket said that more strikes were needed because the government is "still not showing any willingness to listen to workers".

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2.2. 13:50

The Industrial Union has announced plans for large-scale political strikes affecting a number of industrial sectors.

The union said it is planning three days of work stoppages from 14-16 February.

It said the strikes were a protest against what it characterised as Prime Minister Petteri Orpo's (NCP) government's "attacks on unemployment security and job security, restrictions on the right to strike, and other measures that will harm employees' everyday lives and rights."

In a press release issued on Friday, Industrial Union chair Riku Aalto said that more strikes were needed because the government is "still not showing any willingness to listen to workers".

"The Industrial Union will continue to tighten the screw through strikes. We do not accept the government demolishing the structures built to protect workers. The government’s measures have nothing to do with boosting employment. This is purely an ideology that enterprises have dictated to the government parties," Aalto said in the release.

"The local collective bargaining package is like a taxi reform for the labour market. Workers will not be the only losers from this deal — it will also impact Finnish entrepreneurs who do not want to compete on poor working conditions. Shady subcontractors and companies that employ lots of foreign workers will emerge victorious from this reform," his statement continued.

The strikes will affect around 60,000 employees at a multitude of companies across the country. The union shared a long list of the many companies impacted by the industrial action.

The Industrial Union's strike announcement came on Friday, the third and final day of other strikes affecting various industries that grounded 550 Finnair flights on Thursday and Friday and brought public transport to a virtual halt in most of the country on Friday, among other things.