Finnish labor unions extend export blockade

HELSINKI — Finland’s industrial, logistics and electrical workers will extend their ongoing two-week strikes by one week until March 31, the unions and their federation SAK said on Wednesday, after meeting with Minister of Employment Arto Satonen.

The workers have been on strike since March 11, targeting exports, imports and cargo transportation, the latest in a series of union action in protest against government labor reforms and welfare cuts.

The strike is having an impact on Finland’s exports and imports as well as several companies including steelmakers Outokumpu and SSAB, refiner Neste and forestry groups UPM and Stora Enso.

“From our perspective the meeting was a disappointment and obviously we are very worried over the fact that the government is so stubborn and unresponsive even to our far-reaching compromise proposals,” SAK Chairman Jarkko Eloranta told reporters, referring to the meeting with the minister.

The standoff began last year when Finland’s newly elected conservative government announced plans to favor local work agreements over centralized bargains, limit political strikes, cut social welfare and make it easier to terminate contracts.

“This is not the right time to extend the strikes. They cause great damage to Finland’s economy,” Finland’s Prime Minister Petteri Orpo told reporters, adding his government could not be pressed by striking.

Mr. Satonen called the strike extension “unfortunate.”

“Matters can be influenced by discussing, not by striking,” he wrote in a post on social media. — Reuters