In Finland, a large-scale strike against a proposed labor market reform

Flights canceled, public transport in Helsinki interrupted: some 300,000 Finnish workers are walking off Thursday and Friday to protest against a government project to reform the labor market, at the call of several unions. The union of the public and social sectors (JHL), industry (SAK) and services (PAM) announced that their members would go on strike on February 1 and 2.

In their sights: a reform project presented by the government of conservative Prime Minister Petteri Orpo advocating a change in the rules regarding collective agreements. The executive also wants to restrict the right to strike, reduce unemployment benefits and introduce a waiting day in the event of sick leave. Finland is, like its Nordic neighbors, known for its generous social model, offering protection and good working conditions to employees.

If these reforms pass, “they will weaken the position of employees in terms of job security, protection against unjustified dismissals and the right to strike,” assures AFP Markku Sippola, lecturer in Social Sciences at the University of Helsinki. According to an estimate by public broadcaster Yle, some 300,000 workers in Finland will join the strike movement, with the SAK union calling for a big demonstration on Thursday.

Air traffic will be stopped, Finnair having already announced the cancellation of 550 flights, affecting 60,000 passengers, over the two days. No trains will run on Friday in the country and in the capital Helsinki, neither metro, tram nor bus will provide their services, according to JHL. The strike will also affect schools and health services. Several sectors of the Finnish economy will also be disrupted, such as energy, industry, retail and even restaurants. Employees in the early childhood sector, food distribution and factories have already expressed their discontent on Wednesday across the country.

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The cost of the strike is estimated at around 360 million euros, the Confederation of Finnish Industries (EK) said. Mobilizations of this type are relatively rare in Finland, especially those involving managers. Markku Sippola does not rule out further strikes in the spring. If the government does not respond to union demands, “it is not impossible” that other calls for walkouts will take place, he says.

These strikes aim to show the government “the extent of the resistance” to this reform project, explains Pekka Ristela, responsible within the SAK, who hopes to make the executive retreat. Because the government's projects “would weaken the livelihoods of low-income employees who would find themselves unemployed,” he argues. His union is open to negotiations around these reforms, according to Mr. Ristela.

The PAM estimates that some 100,000 of its members will be affected by the strike on February 1 and 2. Their main concerns: “the reduction of unemployment benefits and other social benefits”, notes Aki Rouhiainen, stressing that “many of these reductions unfortunately target the lowest paid and most modest people”. Other union actions are planned for February 6.