JHL, Jyty and JUKO: Fourth strike warning extends the municipal sector’s strikes to Helsinki Metropolitan Region – extensive threat of strike used as method for speeding up negotiations

The municipal sector’s main negotiation organisations representing employees, JUKO (comprised of JHL and Jyty) and JAU, have filed a strike warning concerning the cities of Helsinki, Vantaa, Espoo and Kauniainen to Local Government and County Employers KT, employers’ association Avaintyönantajat Avainta, and to the National Conciliator Vuokko Piekkala.

The week-long strike is set to begin in the Helsinki Metropolitan Region at 12.01 am on 19 April. The strike is set to end at 11.59 pm on 25 April, in case no solution is reached in the municipal sector’s collective agreement negotiations before that.

The strike warning applies to nearly all municipal-sector agreements: General collective agreement for the municipal sector (KVTES), health and social services sector agreement (SOTE), and the agreements for the education sector (OVTES), hourly paid personnel (TTES), physicians (LS), and technical personnel (TS). In addition, for JHL’s and Jyty’s part, the strike warning applies to the collective agreement for employers’ association Avaintyönantajat Avainta ry which municipal-owned companies comply with, and the Seure Employees Services collective agreement (SEURETES).

Exceptionally extensive threat of strike – up to 81,000 municipal-sector employees involved in the wave of strikes

This is already the fourth strike warning filed by JUKO, JHL and Jyty after KT interrupted the collective agreement negotiations and conciliation was started.

The strikes apply to approximately 31,000 employees in the Helsinki Metropolitan Region.

This is an exceptionally extensive threat of strike. Previously, the organisations have also filed strike warnings concerning the cities of Jyväskylä and Rovaniemi, and Kuopio and Tampere. In addition, a strike warning concerning Oulu and Turku has been filed for 6 to 7 April. These strikes apply to approximately 40–50,000 employees in the municipal sector.

These strikes will also not take place if agreement is reached in the municipal sector before the starting date of the strikes. All in all, up to 81,000 employees in the municipal sector would take part in JUKO’s, JHL’s and Jyty’s strikes around Finland.

The organisations’ second ban on overtime and shift swaps concerning the entire municipal sector started today on Monday 21 March at 12.01 am. It will end on 27 March at 11.59 pm.

Ministry has postponed some of the strikes

As for JUKO, the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment of Finland (TEM) has postponed the strikes in Jyväskylä and Rovaniemi to 6–7 April. The strikes in Kuopio and Tampere will be postponed to 12–13 April.

JHL’s and Jyty’s strikes will take place: In Rovaniemi and Jyväskylä on 23–24 March, in Tampere and Kuopio on 29–30 March.

The organisations have ruled out certain work tasks out of all threats of strike. Not carrying out these work tasks might endanger life, health, safety or property.

KT interrupted the negotiations at the end of February

Local Government and County Employers KT interrupted the municipal sector’s collective agreement negotiations on 28 February. The municipality employees entered into a period without agreement on 1 March.

After that, JUKO, JHL and Jyty have been negotiating actively in order to find a solution to the agreement dispute. There have been several meetings with the National Conciliator.

– Everyone must understand that the pent-up pressure to raise the pay level, accumulated during a decade, is now being released. The municipal sector’s benefactors absolutely refuse to keep waiting for their turn that never seems to come, JUKO’s Board Chair Olli Luukkainen sums things up.

– Right now is the time for proper pay raises and a pay regime in the municipal sector. The municipal sector’s employees have certainly earned their pay raises. They have kept our society going even throughout the coronavirus pandemic. They have also taken responsibility for saving Finland with the Competitiveness Pact and various agreements, JHL’s President Päivi Niemi-Laine reminds.

– A solution to the labour dispute has been sought with the National Conciliator, but unfortunately no solution has been found. To us it is very important that the solution will take into account the entire personnel in the municipal sector, and guarantees a sufficient pay development for the personnel, Trade Union Jyty’s President Jonna Voima says.

 More information and comments to the media

Negotiation Organisation for Public Sector Professionals JUKO
Board Chair Olli Luukkainen (The Trade Union of Education in Finland OAJ), 050 065 2872

Public Sector Union JAU
President of Trade Union Jyty: Jonna Voima, 050 591 2341
President of Trade Union for the Public and Welfare Sectors JHL: Päivi Niemi-Laine, 040 702 4772