‘Mafia’ strike brings Finland to a standstill as unions confront government

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Hundreds of thousands of workers in Finland have taken part in a major strike that began on Wednesday and is expected to escalate into Thursday and Friday, with further strikes planned for next week.

Trade unions are calling for industrial action to protest government proposals to reform labor laws, which they say will have a negative impact on low-wage workers and shift the balance of power towards employers in setting pay.

The government insists that fundamental reforms are needed to make the Finnish economy more competitive, but in recent weeks the rhetoric has increased further, in an indication of how important the new proposals are to both sides. The situation is becoming more intense and the disagreements are becoming more intense.

The strike comes at the height of campaigning for the second round of the Finnish presidential election, with politicians from both the left and right actively campaigning ahead of the vote on Sunday, February 11th.

“Given the level of public debt, there is an urgent need to reform the social security system and increase employment. “We need to improve,” he said. Arto SatonenMinister of Employment of Finland.

“The EU has condemned our debt-based public spending prospects, and the IMF strongly supports the current Finnish government’s policies. For our future well-being, we must leave reforms unfinished. “We should not and cannot keep it that way.” he tells Euronews.

Which sectors will be affected by the strike?

Trade unions estimate up to 300,000 workers could take part in the strike, and politicians from both countries will take to the stage to address expected crowds at a rally in Helsinki on Thursday afternoon. I plan to.

A strike by childcare workers in the capital region began on Wednesday, and workers from all sectors of Finnish working life are now taking part in the strike, which affects trains, trams, buses and more. Airports, airlines, flight attendants. Shipping, ferries, and port operations. Energy production company. Department stores and supermarket chains, hotels and restaurants. cleaning company. Tourism and leisure business. Finland’s largest paper mill, mine and refinery. construction company. and the postal service.

Maria Lofgrenpresident of Aqava The union representing professional and managerial staff told Euronews that it “sought to resolve the escalating situation by proposing a balanced solution to the Prime Minister.”

“So far, the government has not committed to considering them.” […] We want our solutions to be seriously considered,” she says.

Minister Satonen, from the ruling National Union party, said the government had been working with unions in preparing the reforms, but said they were “absolutely necessary” and unions could not have a “veto” over the plans. .

What exactly does the Finnish government want to change?

The debate centers on two key changes that the government says are necessary to make Finland’s economy more competitive.

First, there will be significant cuts to social welfare provisions, some of which are already in place. The union said that for people already on low incomes, this would mean a loss of hundreds of euros per month, a serious problem in sectors such as retail, where wages are already low, and the possibility of being employed in some low-income sectors. It is said that this will have a negative impact on sexually active women. A well-paid occupation.

Second, the government wants to rewrite the rules on collective bargaining.

Finland traditionally follows a tripartite model for labor negotiations, involving the government, trade union representatives, and employer representatives. Unions argue that the government’s changes mean workers’ bargaining power is weakened.

Unions say the proposed changes to the decades-old system would fragment wage negotiations, put power in the hands of industries and individual companies to set ceiling levels for wage increases, and reduce the likelihood of workers doing similar jobs. They are concerned that this could be harmful because it could create income disparities even among people with disabilities. .

“In the long run, this kind of change will almost certainly mean lower wages and less favorable conditions for workers,” he says. Pekka ListellaInternational Director SAKFinnish Trade Union Federation.

The government is also proposing a system that links wages across the economy to the export sector. This would prohibit national labor conciliators, who are often involved in wage setting, from proposing wage increases above those agreed with export sectors in any labor dispute.

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Plan reform, take action, and wage war of words.

Government plans and calls for strike action by trade unions have once again pitted Finland’s ruling right and left parties against each other.

Government ministers have referred to trade unions as the “mafia”, while right-wing politicians have claimed that trade union leaders “punish” workers who choose not to strike, and that those in this situation are We provide free legal advice. Another MP from a government party described the right to industrial action as a “pointless inconvenience”.

Finland’s coalition government, which includes far-right parties as its second-largest partner, has repeatedly tried to cast the strike as a dangerous political act, saying it already has a mandate from voters to implement reforms. Unions say it shouldn’t. Try to flank them.

A people-led petition calling for a ban on so-called political strikes is supported by several politicians from the prime minister’s party.

“It’s dangerous to label internationally recognized and established social actors as ‘mafia’ and start using that kind of label. I think it could be the beginning of a very harmful social development.” ” says SAK’s Pekka Listera.

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“International treaties, particularly the ILO, have specific rules about what kinds of political strikes must be allowed, and political strikes are directed against government policies that affect workers. “The Trump effect” is alarming even in legal cases, he added. Your actions will be questioned.

“Overall, we have broad support from the public.”