A number of Finnish trade unions started a political strike Monday 11 March which will continue until 25 March. The initiative has a significant impact on the Finnish transport industry, including rail freight. According to the Confederation of Finnish Business (EK), the strike will cost Finland 320 million euros in damage to the gross domestic product.
The unions involved in the strikes are Teollisuusliitto, JHL, AKT, Sähköliitto, Rakennusliitto and PAM. The transport hubs affected by the action are the Porvoo distribution terminal, the Porvoo and Naantali ports, and terminals in Naantali, Kemi and Kokkola. Other than halting the transport sector, the strike is having an impact on the Finnish steel industry. As Teollisuusliitto the two-week stoppage will also take place at the steel factories in Raahe and Tornio.
Why is Finland striking?
The reason behind the strikes in Finland is that the government is pushing policies aimed at weakening workers’ conditions. “The government cannot escape the labor market crisis by burying its head in the sand and comparing the trade union movement to a criminal organization”, Riku Aalto, chairman of the Teollisuusliitto underlined. When it comes to rail freight, Finnish locomotive drivers already went on a first strike in February. “The unions are ready to suspend the actions if the government is ready to soften and balance its weakening proposals”, Sähköliitto mentioned. EK, on the other hand, is criticising the initiative, saying that political strikes “are a thing of the past”.
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