Paper workers begin 3-week strike

The Paper Workers' Union (Paperiliitto) has begun a three-week strike on Monday morning as the negotiation meeting between the employers and employees failed to settle the issue, said a press release of the Union.

Although the nine-hour negotiation meeting held on Sunday failed to reach an agreement on new terms and conditions of work, the parties will sit again on Tuesday morning to find out a solution in this regard.

Earlier, on January 12, the union announced to go for the strike, if a new contract is not agreed by this time.

The strike by the Paperiliitto, involves 9,000 workers in the paper industry.

Although the union announced to go for a two-week strike at the initial stage, on Sunday evening the paper workers' union announced that it would be one week longer, and would therefore end on 17 February if no agreement was reached, reported national broadcaster Yle.

Meanwhile, Metsäteollisuus, the organisation representing employers in the sector, announced a three-day lockout at 12 paper, cardboard and pulp production facilities, starting on 10 February, said the Yle report.

The operations of ABB, Metso, Nokia, Outokumpu, Meyer Turku, Patria, Rautaruukki, Valmet and Wärtsilä are being disrupted due to the strike.

News Agency Xinhua adds: In addition, 2,300 white collar employees of the paper and pulp industry also started a two-week strike since Monday.

Besides salaries, the key issue in the strikes is the unions' demand to cancel extra free working hours included in the previous agreements. The additional unpaid hours were part of the 2016 competitive edge package sponsored by then Finnish cabinet.

Jyrki Hollmen, director of Labour Market at Finnish Forest Industries Federation, said on Sunday that the employers "cannot give up the benefit the extra hours have given."

Petri Vanhala, chair of the Finnish Paper Workers Union, told national broadcaster Yle on Monday that the two sides had found some common ground in the talks that continued until the strike began.