News from Finland. Industrial Union approves agreement, ending labour dispute

With the agreement in place, planned strikes and solidarity actions in the technology industry will be called off.

Yle News https://yle.fi/a/74-20145394?

22.2. 18:00•Updated 22.2. 18:07

The Industrial Union has approved a negotiated settlement in the long-running labour dispute, the union announced on Saturday.

The agreement will grant technology industry workers a total wage increase of 7.8 percent over three years. According to both the employers and Industrial Union chair Riku Aalto, the agreement's total impact on wages over the contract period will be 7.8 percent.

The employers' organisation Technology Industry Employers of Finland had already accepted the deal earlier.

In 2025 the general wage increases will be 2.1 percent plus 0.4 percent distributed by employers. That will rise again to a general increase of 2.3 percent plus 0.6 percent distributed by employers in 2026. The final year of 2027 will see a 2 percent general increase plus 0.4 percent distributed by employers.

The agreement covers over 90,000 employees and will remain in force until the end of November 2027.

Aalto called the agreement reasonable.

"In our assessment, these wage increases will help close the purchasing power gap," he said.

Employers agreed to deal

Technology Industry Employers CEO Jarkko Ruohoniemi confirmed to Yle on Saturday that his organisation had approved the deal the day before on Friday.

"Yes. Now we are waiting for the Industrial Union’s decision. If they accept it, the details will be published. If not, negotiations will continue," Ruohoniemi told Yle prior to the deal on Saturday.

The Industrial Union announced its decision at a press conference at 5 pm on Saturday.

The agreement sets a precedent for other sectors, as the technology industry traditionally acts as a benchmark for wage negotiations across Finland.

A newly introduced export-driven wage model also means that the National Conciliator can no longer propose settlements with higher wage increases than those agreed in export industries. However, individual employers may still negotiate different agreements.

Strikes called off

The union had previously rejected a proposal from the National Conciliator that included a total 7 percent wage increase over three years. Initially, the Industrial Union and other member unions of the Central Organisation of Finnish Trade Unions (SAK) had demanded a 10 percent increase over two years.

With the agreement in place, planned strikes and solidarity actions in the technology industry will be called off.