JHL declares a fourth strike warning in the private social services sector and a job search embargo in care sector companies
The Trade Union for the Public and Welfare Sectors JHL is extending its industrial action measures in the private social services sector. The fourth strike warning filed in the sector applies to child protection, care and personal assistance work around Finland. The union has also declared a job search embargo in four corporate groups in the care sector.
The deadlocked situation in the private social services sector’s negotiations has forced Trade Union JHL to file a fourth strike warning for the agreement sector.
− I can only wonder why the employer party has let things come this far. Their unwillingness to come to an agreement is forcing us to strike and put a job search embargo in place, JHL President Päivi Niemi-Laine says.
Private social services sector strike applying to personal assistants
The strike applies to all personal assistants working in Lapland, North and South Ostrobothnia, Central Finland and North Savo who belong to pay group A of the private social services sector’s collective agreement and whose pay is placed in pay grades G12A-G15.
The strike will start on Monday 19 June 2023 at 12.01 am and end on Thursday 22 June 2023 at 11.59 pm. The industrial action will apply to all work shifts that start during this period of time. Work tasks that threaten life and health belong to other pay groups and have been ruled out of the industrial action.
Private social services sector strike applying to child protection
The strike applies to child protection work carried out in Lapland, North and South Ostrobothnia, North Savo and Central Finland that is covered by the private social services sector’s collective agreement.
Strike locations within child protection
The strike will start on Monday 19 June 2023 at 12.01 am and end on Thursday 22 June 2023 at 11.59 pm. The industrial action will apply to all work shifts that start during this period of time. Work tasks that require an employee’s constant and immediate presence because of a client’s state of health, and that are necessary to prevent the client’s life from being endangered, are ruled out of the strike.
Private social services sector strike applying to the care sector
The strike applies to care work carried out in the regions of Lapland and North Ostrobothnia that is covered by the private social services sector’s collective agreement.
Care sector’s strike locations
The strike will start on Monday 19 June 2023 at 12.01 am and end on Thursday 22 June 2023 at 11.59 pm. The industrial action will apply to all work shifts that start during this period of time.
Job search embargo in four corporate groups in the care sector
In addition to the strike warning, JHL has declared a fixed-term and limited job search embargo in four corporate groups in the care sector. They are
- Pihlajalinna Oyj and all its subsidiaries
- Irepse Oy and all its subsidiaries
- Mehiläinen Konserni Oy and all its subsidiaries
- Attendo Ab and all its subsidiaries
The union forbids its members to seek work to which the private social services sector’s collective agreement is applied in companies that operate in Finland and that belong to these corporate groups.
The job search embargo started on 31 May 2023 at 3 pm and will end on 14 June 2023 at 3 pm.
JHL’s bargaining specialists Tanja Tuunainen-Vainio and Hanna Katajamäki emphasise that the private sector’s pay raises must comply with the pay raise level in the public sector.
− Levelling out unjustified pay gaps in relation to the public sector has been a goal that both parties agreed to register. However, the employer party has no longer been willing to commit itself to this goal during this round of collective agreement negotiations. However, we hope that the employer party is willing to come to a solution that doesn’t further increase the pay gap between the sectors and decrease the private sector’s ability to attract new employees and hold on to the old ones, they say.
Employees are represented in the the private social services sector’s collective agreement negotiations by the Trade Union for the Public and Welfare Sectors JHL, Talentia Union of Professional Social Workers, social services sector alliance Salli ry and social welfare and health care sector’s negotiation organisation Sote ry. The employer is represented by the Finnish Association of Private Care Providers.
More information about Trade Union JHL’s industrial actions
More information:
President Päivi Niemi-Laine, 040 702 4772
Bargaining Specialist Hanna Katajamäki, 050 513 7701
Bargaining Specialist Tanja Tuunainen-Vainio, 050 463 2243