this weekFinland is facing a major shutdown in various sectors, with more than 130,000 workers expected to go on strike to protest the government’s labor market reforms proposed by the prime minister. Peteri Olupoadministration. The strike is political in nature and is expected to cause widespread disruption to social and economic activity across the country.
The strike will have a major impact on the country over the weekend, with more than 100,000 workers set to quit between Wednesday and Friday, according to Helsingin Sanomat calculations.
The Confederation of Finnish Industry (EK) estimates the cost of this week’s strike and strikes since December to be around 1 billion euros.
The main sectors affected include rail transport, which is scheduled to shut down completely on Monday due to a strike by rail unions. Early childhood education will also face disruption on Tuesday and Wednesday as social, health and education sector unions, including Tehy and Super, launch a 48-hour strike in major cities. Public and private daycare centers in these cities may be closed.
Long-distance and local train services were scheduled to resume on Tuesday, but VR announced on Monday night that all long-distance trains would be suspended for safety reasons after damage to wheels was discovered due to a suspected track defect. It was announced that trains would be suspended. Local trains will operate as usual.
Industry will come to a standstill on Wednesday as a major political strike launched by industry trade unions and pro-unions affects various industries. Around 60,000 industrial workers and 7,000 office staff are expected to take part in the strike, which could bring a significant part of Finnish industry to a standstill.
Public transport in Helsinki, Tampere and Turku will also be broadly shut down due to the JHL strike, affecting tram, subway and bus services. The port will be paralyzed from Wednesday to Friday due to a dockers’ strike by the AKT union.
On Thursday, the strike will be extended to the energy sector, with the electrical trade union moving its political strike from the Lovisa nuclear power plant to the Olkiluoto nuclear power plant. Other ongoing strikes include strikes by Service Unions United (PAM) in distribution centers and strikes by food workers unions SEL and Pro Union in some food industry workplaces.
On Friday, the strike will be expanded to include employees at the hydropower stations operated by the electrical workers’ unions Kemijoki, Tornionlagson Boima and Pohjoran Boima, as well as Fortum’s Oulujoki hydropower plant.
As Finland prepares for a week of wide-ranging industrial action, the impact on daily life, from transportation to childcare to industrial production, will be significantly affected by changes to the labor market proposed by Finnish workers and their unions. It highlights the backlash.
HT