JHL, Jyty and JUKO file a strike warning concerning the cities of Oulu and Turku during municipal sector’s collective agreement negotiations – already the third warning of its kind

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 Oulu and Turku to Local Government and County Employers KT and the National Conciliator.

The two-day strike in Oulu and Turku is set to begin on Wednesday 6 April at 12.01 am. It is set to end on Thursday 7 April at 11.59 pm. If the parties have not reached agreement before this, the strike will begin.

With the industrial actions, employee organisations aim to speed up the municipal sector’s collective agreement negotiations in order for a negotiation result to be reached. Conciliation of the labour dispute will continue, led by the National Conciliator.

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.

Work tasks that must be performed in order to protect people’s life, health or assets are ruled out of the strike.

This is already the third two-day strike warning declared by JUKO, JHL and Jyty in the municipal sector’s collective agreement negotiations. The first strike warning concerned a strike in Jyväskylä and Rovaniemi on 23–24 March. The second strike warning on the other hand concerned a strike in Tampere and Kuopio on 29–30 March.

The strike warnings filed by JUKO, JHL and Jyty so far apply to approximately 40,000–50,000 municipal-sector employees.

In addition, a ban on overtime and shift swaps concerning the entire municipal sector was in place last week between 7 and 13 March. The next ban on overtime and shift swaps has been declared for next week, for 21 to 27 March 2022.

– I assume that the employer has by now realised that the municipal sector’s employees are not kidding, and that they are tired of waiting for the significance of their work to be reflected in their pay. Kind words and verbal encouragement are no longer enough, JUKO’s Board Chair Olli Luukkainen (The Trade Union of Education in Finland OAJ) sums things up.

– The time has come for the municipal sector to get significant pay raises and a pay regime. For ten years, the municipal sector’s employees have been saving Finland under the framework agreement, employment and growth pacts, and the Competitiveness Pact. After that, coronavirus struck and now there is a war in Ukraine. In addition, high inflation eats away at purchasing power. The municipal sector’s employees have earned their pay raises, and they are tired of waiting, JHL President Päivi Niemi-Laine emphasises.

 – The municipal sector’s employees provide us all with valuable services. Well-functioning services are especially important during times of crises. Appreciation is not measured in money alone. However, a sufficient level of income needs to be guaranteed for the employees in the municipal sector. For that we need a pay regime, Trade Union Jyty’s President Jonna Voima demands.

More information and comments to the media:

Negotiation Organisation for Public Sector Professionals JUKO
Board Chair Olli Luukkainen (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

P.S. Where are the hardest negotiation battles being fought? Which negotiations are over and done with? To check the negotiating situation for every JHL sector, visit https://www.jhl.fi/en/latest-news/themes/collective-agreement-negotiations-2022/negotiating-situation/. Also follow the latest news on JHL’s Facebook and Twitter.