Highlights: Finnish unions will end a historic month-long strike this Monday, April 8, against a proposed labor market reform. Some 7,000 employees in transport, logistics and the electrical sector took part in this strike. The strike began on March 11 to protest against the right-wing government's plan to relax the labor code. The employers' confederation of industries estimated the cost of the strike at two billion euros. The unions indicated that they were now awaiting a response from the government.

Finnish unions will end a historic month-long strike this Monday, April 8, against a proposed labor market reform, a union official said on Friday.…

Finland: unions end historic month-long strike, without progress

Finnish unions will end a historic month-long strike this Monday, April 8, against a proposed labor market reform, a union official said on Friday. Why this lifting?

Finns demonstrate against the government bill to amend the labor code on February 1, 2024 in Helsinki. AFP - VESA MOILANEN

By: RFI with AFP

Some 7,000 employees in transport, logistics and the electrical sector took part in this strike which began on March 11 to protest against the right-wing government's plan to relax the labor code. The exceptional mobilization disrupted port activity and the transport of goods in

Finland

. At the start of the year, employees from other sectors (public and social sector, services) also went on strike against the Finnish executive's plan.

But the government, supported by part of the population, remained inflexible. As long as the strike lasts, there will be no negotiations. In their sights: a reform project presented by the government of conservative Prime Minister Petteri Orpo advocating a change in the rules regarding collective agreements. The executive also wants to restrict the right to strike and reduce unemployment benefits.

So what is the concrete result obtained by this historic strike? “

What we managed to do is to inform the population about what is happening, because no one in Finland really knows what the government is doing,”

trade unionist Maria Häggman, responsible for the international affairs at the Finnish Confederation of Employees.

For the moment, we do not think there will be negotiations. For example, for strike restrictions, it is already before Parliament. On this, they will not move.

On how to conduct collective negotiations, the government hopes that the partners will negotiate.

Competitiveness versus working conditions

Mr. Orpo justified his project by the need to steer the country towards an “

export-driven labor market model

” to improve its competitiveness while the unions denounce an erosion of their rights and degraded working conditions.

The employers' confederation of industries estimated the cost of the strike at two billion euros. The unions indicated that they were now awaiting a response from the government. They will review their position on April 18, said the SAK official, without wanting to speculate on a resumption of the strike.

“

Finland has never experienced such a long strike for political reasons, at least since the Second World War

,” Niklas Bruun, professor at the Hanken School of Economics in Helsinki, told AFP.

Finland: unions end historic month-long strike, without progress

Finland: unions end historic month-long strike, without progress

Competitiveness versus working conditions

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