Trade Union JHL to continue the export sector strike by one more week

JHL and other SAK-affiliated unions will further continue the political strike of the export sectors. The strike started on 11 March, and this was the second time a decision was made to continue it. The new end date for the strike is Sunday 7 April. According to Trade Union JHL President Håkan Ekström, it was necessary to continue striking.

On Wednesday 20 March, SAK President Jarkko Eloranta met with Minister of Employment Arto Satonen (National Coalition Party). However, the Government did not offer alternatives to its reforms that will crumble working life, nor has it arranged new meetings since then.

Approximately a thousand members of the Trade Union for the Public and Welfare Sectors JHL are involved in the latest strike. JHL’s strikes will 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. JHL’s strike locations are the same as during 25–31 March. Work tasks that must be performed in order to protect people's life, health or property are ruled out of the strike. 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. Its list of working life weakenings includes limiting the right to strike and undermining the general applicability of collective agreements. The reforms solely benefit employers.

The Government is also pushing for a so-called export model, in which pay raises would be tied to the level of the export sectors. The Government's message is that it only wants to negotiate on this topic. Negotiating only on the pay model is difficult if, at the same time, the terms and conditions of local agreement and the position of shop stewards, among other things, are weakened in legislation, Ekström reminds.

- In Finland, it must also in the future be possible to agree on the terms and conditions of employment in such a way that employee needs, too, are taken into account. If the Government forces through its reforms, the next round of negotiations can be historically challenging.

More information:

JHL President Håkan Ekström, 040 828 2865

JHL's strike locations Monday 1 April 2024 12.01 am – Sunday 7 April 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 1 April 2024 and 11.59 pm on Sunday 7 April 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 ports of Turku, Naantali, Vaasa, Maarianhamina and Långnäs are ruled out of the industrial action.