Helsinki (19.11.2019 - Heikki Jokinen) Many unions have announced plans to take industrial action in support of the collective bargaining process in the ongoing postal strike. The Finnish Post and Logistics Union PAU strike in the state owned postal service company Posti began on Monday 11 November.
The Service Union United PAM will stop handling of parcels and letters between 25 November and 8 December in some 750 Post-in-Shop services. These are located among others in grocery stores, cafes and service stations.
"PAM does not accept employer attempts to weaken the terms of employment for those working at Posti. We see it as vitally important that terms of employment and business are developed jointly", says PAM President Annika Rönni-Sällinen.
The Trade Union for the Public and Welfare Sectors JHL and Railway Union RAU will suspend freight traffic on 19-20 November.
The Finnish Electrical Workers' Union says that it is planning solidarity action to support the PAU strike. The Union Council said that the Posti plan to move some 700 employees to another collective agreement - so called collective agreement shopping - is connected to a wider attack against trade union movement.
"Collective agreement shopping is a cancer, but there is a remedy", said the Union Council. This remedy is better cooperation between the unions.
The Transport Workers' Union AKT announced a ban on overtime and shift swaps within road and rail transport from 19 November. Their members do not handle deliveries from Posti either.
On 20 November the ban on shift swaps and overtime will extend to AKT members working at the docks, terminals and within the travel industry. If PAU do not reach a new collective by 25 November, AKT will stage a 24 hour strike at the Helsinki Regional Transport Authority HSL. This would effectively bring the capital to a standstill..
The unions connected to sea and air traffic have also promised to extend the existing sympathy strikes and start new short targeted strikes unless PAU reaches an agreement soon. This would have a major effect on air and sea transport and traffic.
PAU has claimed that the employers are using rental labour as strike-breakers, which the employers deny. However, last week Sirpa Paatero, the Minister of Local Government and Ownership Steering, told Posti the use of agency employees as strike-breakers is strictly forbidden in the state owned company.
Read more:
Postal strike is set to escalate (13.11.2019)