The Trade Union for the Public and Welfare Sectors JHL, the Negotiation Organisation for Public Sector Professionals JUKO, and Trade Union Pro started a three-day strike at selected state sector workplaces early Tuesday.
The JHL on Monday said that the pre-announced strike will be observed as the negotiation talks regarding pay rises for the 76,000 state sector employees foiled without any fruitful outcome.
The strike is being enforced at Police administration, Customs, Government ICT Centre Valtori and the Finnish Meteorological Institute.
As per the strike schedules, work in all units of the Eastern Uusimaa Police Department and in all units of the Southeastern Finland Police Department, work at customs for mail at the Helsinki-Vantaa airport, work in government ICT Centre Valtori at all locations in the city of Rovaniemi and work in the Finnish Meteorological Institute (only JHL and JUKO) at the Weather, Sea and Climate Service Centre will remain suspended due to the strike.
The strike started early Tuesday at 12.01 am and will continue until Thursday at 11.59 pm.
The Office for the Government as Employer (VTML) halted the state sector collective agreement negotiations on 7 March and has since then shown no willingness to resume them, said the unions.
Work tasks that must be performed in order to protect people's life or health or to prevent significant danger to property are excluded from the strike.
The strike will significantly affect the police services in Southeastern Finland, said police in a press release.
Police patrols will handle tasks that pose a threat to life or health.
During the strike, the police will handle only the tasks that are essential to prevent a threat to citizens' life or health, or to protect property that is especially at risk due to the labour dispute.
People can still call the emergency number 112 in life-threatening or health-threatening situations during the strike.
Police patrols working on protection tasks will handle urgent duties during the strike. These duties include tasks that are essential to prevent a threat to life or health or to protect property that is particularly at risk due to the labour dispute.
Other police departments near Southeastern Finland Police Department can support the patrols of Southeastern Finland only in tasks related to protection work. Necessary first actions and investigations related to crimes against life and health will also be handled.
“The human resources of the Southeastern Finland Police Department available for essential work have been negotiated with the trade unions. During the strike, our resources will be much more limited than usual,” said Police Chief Ari Karvonen.
All five Southeastern Finland Police Stations will be closed to customers during the strike days.
Kouvola Main Police Station as well as police stations at Kotka, Lappeenranta, Imatra and Hamina will all be closed to customers on strike days. The police stations will mainly have personnel working on protection tasks.
The National Police Board, the Eastern Uusimaa Police Department and the Southeastern Finland Police Department have negotiated with employee unions concerning the content of protection work during the strike.
Protection work is provided for by law and is defined as work necessary to prevent danger to the life or health of citizens or to protect property that is particularly endangered by industrial action.
“Although the strike that has been announced will only last three days, police employees do work that is essential for protecting the lives and health of people every day. The Police will take care of these tasks during the strike,” said Sanna Heikinheimo, Deputy National Police Commissioner.
Earlier, a two-day strike was observed at selected state sector workplaces on April 15 and 16.
- Strike
- Public
- Sectors
Source: www.dailyfinland.fi
