The Industrial Union renews its strike warning to Technology Industry Employers of Finland and submits its first strike warning to the Chemical Industry Federation of Finland – six-day strikes due to begin on 27 January

On 10 January 2025, the Industrial Union renewed its strike warning to Technology Industry Employers of Finland and submitted its first strike warning to the Chemical Industry Federation of Finland. The dispute with the technology industries relates to the upcoming wage settlement. In respect of the chemical industry, the entire collective agreement is in dispute. According to Riku Aalto, President of the Industrial Union, the goal is to secure fair terms of employment and fair pay rises for employees in both agreements.

‘Our members have seen a significant reduction in their purchasing power. Workers need reasonable pay rises to boost their purchasing power in order to ensure their livelihoods and afford the cost of living. Unfortunately, employers do not share our concern for the welfare of workers. They have left us with no choice but to submit these strike warnings,’ Aalto explains.

‘Employers do not appear to be in any rush to find a solution. It took three weeks for the two sides of the technology industries to come to the table after the industrial action in December. No progress whatsoever was made in the course of the two meetings that were held this week. Workers are entitled to their pay rises now, and submitting strike warnings was the only option left for us to speed up the negotiations,’ Aalto adds.

Employers’ current offer not enough to boost purchasing power

The Industrial Union has previously announced that its goal for the collective agreement negotiations is to secure a 10% pay rise for workers. This figure is needed to boost workers’ purchasing power in a climate where the cost of living has risen sharply in the last couple of years.

‘Contrary to what the Technology Industry Employers of Finland claim, their offer is not enough to significantly improve purchasing power. In fact, it would barely maintain the current level. Moreover, employers are closing their eyes to the fact that while workers’ purchasing power has dropped to historically low levels, the cost competitiveness of the industrial sector has actually improved,’ Aalto says.

The pay rises agreed upon in Finland in recent years have been modest, especially compared to Finland’s key competitor countries. The increase in labour costs in Finland has been the second lowest in Europe over the past three years. This supports the possibility of pay rises to boost purchasing power without undermining competitiveness. According to the economic forecast published by the Bank of Finland in December, the year 2024 saw another improvement in Finland’s cost competitiveness relative to the average of the eurozone.

‘The cost implications of our pay rise target are similar to those of the company-specific collective agreements that we signed in the autumn of 2024,’ Aalto says.

Duration and locations of industrial action

Company-specific strike warnings have been issued to 50 businesses in the technology and chemical industries. The businesses in question employee approximately 13,100 people between them. Company-specific walkouts are scheduled to begin on 27 January and end on 1 February 2025.

The walkouts do not apply to emergency work or work necessary to protect life and health.

The collective agreement for the technology industries expired on 30 November 2024 and the collective agreements for the chemical industry on 31 December 2024.

More detailed information about the industrial action as well as the affected locations and businesses can be found on the Industrial Union’s website by following this link.