Finnish ports paralyse as AKT goes on strike

The Transport Workers' Union (Auto ja Kuljetusalan Työntekijäliitto – AKT) has decided to observe a 24-hour strike at all Finnish ports from Tuesday morning, said the union in a press release on Monday.

The union will go for the strike responding to collective agreement disputes involving forest industry company Keitele Group.

The strike is scheduled to begin at 6:00 am on Tuesday and continue until 6:00am on Wednesday.

The strike will stop all the activities at all Finnish ports as employees who work under the stevedoring collective agreement between the Port Operators Association and the AKT will refrain from work during the 24 hours.

The President of AKT, Ismo Kokko in a statement hoped that the Keitele Group and the Confederation of Finnish Industry (EK) will start negotiation immediately and find out an amicable solution through an agreement.

Meanwhile, the Confederation of Finnish Industries criticised the AKT´s move to go for a strike, saying that a dispute involving a single company will hamper country´s most of the foreign trades.