JHL to extend the export sector strike by one week: “The governing parties have sold their soul”

The strike of export sectors will be extended to last three weeks. The political strike opposes the Government's anti-employee policy and insane social security cuts.

The strike of export sectors that started on 11 March will be extended by one week. Trade Union JHL is involved in the strike lasting a total of three weeks which stops our country's export. In addition to JHL, numerous other SAK-affiliated unions are participating (SAK = Central Organisation of Finnish Trade Unions). The strike will last until Sunday 31 March.

On Wednesday 20 March, SAK President Jarkko Eloranta met with Minister of Employment Arto Satonen (National Coalition Party). The Government of Finland was not ready to make compromises concerning the labour market situation, which is why it is necessary to continue the strike to defend employees and unemployed people. The Government’s attitude towards SAK’s proposals was a big disappointment, comments JHL President Håkan Ekström.

– It seems like the governing parties have once and for all sold their soul to employers and representatives of business life. The governing parties have an unfair attitude towards safeguarding the position of employees and unemployed people in society. Weakening unemployment security and social security will increase poverty in this country.
 
Approximately a thousand members of the Trade Union for the Public and Welfare Sectors JHL are involved in the strike. JHL’s strikes affect rail freight transport and the operations of numerous ports around Finland.

A list of all the strike locations is at the end of the press release and attached to it. JHL’s strike locations will be the same ones as during the first two strike weeks, with the exception of North Rail which is not among the locations. Work tasks that must be performed in order to protect people's life, health or property are ruled out of the strikes. There is also an unwillingness to endanger Finland’s security of supply with the strikes.

Trade union JHL will offer financial assistance to other trade unions that have a large number of members on strike.

The political strike targets the working life and social security weakenings planned by the Government of Finland. The Government has already made cuts to housing allowance and unemployment security. The unreasonable cuts hit those with a small income, as well as young people, especially hard. 

The Government’s list of working life weakenings includes limiting the right to strike and undermining the general applicability of collective agreements. The weakenings have been copied almost word for word from the goals of employers and business life, and the effects on employment have not been calculated for all of them. Furthermore, the export model for pay, which is being planned, would worsen the position of female-dominated low-pay sectors by deepening the pay gap which already exists.

At the moment, it seems that negotiations on the pay model can’t get moving, Ekström explains, worried.

– The country's Government has the keys to the solution in its hands. Right now, it seems like there is a desire to only use political leadership to safeguard the interests of employers and business life. The Government is about to tear the Finnish labour market model apart. These measures have far-reaching consequences. They will make it more difficult to conduct future collective agreement negotiations. They will also increase unrest in the labour market.

Trade Union JHL demands the Government to make proper compromises and agree to genuine negotiation instead of dictating.

More information:
JHL President Håkan Ekström, 040 828 2865 

JHL's strike locations Monday 25 March 2024 12.01 am – Sunday 31 March 2024 11.59 pm

The political industrial action applies to work done in the following workplaces covered by Service Sector Employers Palta’s collective agreement:

• Etelä-Suomen Satamapalvelut Oy
• Helsingin Satama Oy
• Kokkolan Satama Oy
• Kvarkenhamnar Aktiebolag, Filial I Finland/Merenkurkun Satamat Oy (Vaasa)
• Loviisan Satama Oy
• Naantalin Satama Oy
• Oulun Satama Oy
• Porin Satama Oy
• Raahen Satama Oy
• Rauman Satama Oy
• Silverstone Bay Logistics Oy
• Olmar Pori Oy
  
  

The political industrial action applies to work done in the following workplaces covered by employers’ association Avaintyönantajat Avainta’s collective agreement:

• Turun Satama Oy
• Uudenkaupungin Satama Oy
• HaminaKotka Satama Oy
• Kemin Satama Oy
• Hangon Satama-Hangö Hamn Oy Ab
  
  

Other work tasks and workplaces subject to the political industrial action:

• VR Group: VR Transpoint
• Olmar HaminaKotka Oy (RP Group)
  
  

Length of the political industrial action

The political industrial action applies to work shifts that start between 12.01 am on Monday 25 March 2024 and 11.59 pm on Sunday 31 March 2024.

Work tasks that must be performed in order to protect people's life, health or property are ruled out of the industrial action. In addition, work supporting passenger traffic in Katajanokka Terminal, Olympia Terminal and West Terminal in Helsinki, as well as work done in the passenger harbours of Turku, Naantali and Vaasa are ruled out of the industrial action.