The Industrial Union rebukes the Confederation of Finnish Industries (EK) and Technology Industries of Finland for announcing the largest lockout in Finland’s history

The Confederation of Finnish Industries (EK) and Technology Industries of Finland have announced the largest lockout in Finland’s history. The Industrial Union, representing workers, calls their action reprehensible. In the union’s view, the advice for employers to immediately stop paying salaries and wages amounts to industrial action against workers. The law requires employers to pay their employees’ salaries and wages for seven days in the event of a work stoppage that is unrelated to the parties named in the employment contract.

“Finland has never seen industrial action on this scale from employers. This lockout marks the unmasking of enterprises as political actors responsible for the terms of the government’s programme that aim to weaken conditions for workers.

“There can be no more pretence. The government and business enterprises are one and the same. The lockout is an attempt by employers to coerce workers into giving up their opposition to the attacks on working conditions.

“I am particularly astonished at EK’s role in all this. First, the association leaked a confidential strike notice from the Finnish Transport Workers’ Union (AKT) to the National Coalition Party. Now, EK is organising and steering industrial action, despite claiming it no longer works as a labour market organisation,” says Riku Aalto, President of the Industrial Union.

The Industrial Union’s legal opinion is that employers are unequivocally obligated to pay salaries and wages for seven days, even if work is prevented due to the ongoing two-week work stoppage. Aalto says that a deluge of legal action awaits if individual employers begin following the instructions issued by EK and its member organisations and forcing them on employees.

“Every employer that refuses to pay salaries and wages for seven days will be taken to court. Legal action will be taken to collect these salaries and wages with interest. This is the minimum price that employers will pay for following the instructions they have been given.”