Collective bargaining overview: Strikes continue in central government, new settlements in food industry

SAK trade unions have continued collective bargaining on several fronts in April, with industrial disputes either ongoing or imminent in central government, the universities, the construction industry, air transport and other sectors. New agreements have been reached in the food industry and in several service and cultural sectors.

Negotiations on the collective agreement for state civil servants and employees are still making only slow progress. Both the Office for the Government as Employer and its counterpart staff side organisations – the Union of Public and Welfare Sectors JHL, Trade Union Pro, and the Negotiation Organisation for Public Sector Professionals Juko – turned down the most recent settlement proposal on 14 April 2025.

JHL, Pro and Juko began a three-day strike on 22 April that includes the police departments of Eastern Uusimaa and Southeastern Finland, Helsinki-Vantaa Airport Postal Customs, and the Finnish Meteorological Institute. These organisations have also issued a new strike warning affecting selected government positions over the period from 8 to 9 May.

Negotiations on terms and conditions of employment at universities have also ground to a halt, and so JHL, Pro and Juko have formally announced a 24-hour strike at the University of Tampere on 7 May.

Food industry pay settlement follows general trend

Negotiating by the Finnish Construction Trade Union has currently stalled in eight collective bargaining sectors. The agreements in this industry expired at the end of February. The union is accordingly pressing its case by calling a halt to HVAC work in the Uusimaa region between 7 and 9 May.

Following four strikes and four strike warnings, the Finnish Food Workers’ Union SEL reached settlements covering five of its food industry bargaining sectors in April. The new three-year agreements include general salary increases totalling 7.8 per cent in line with the general trend. Double pay for night work was agreed for all employees in bakeries. These workers had been in danger of losing the traditional night work bonuses previously guaranteed under the Act on Work in Bakeries after the Finnish government repealed this statute in March.

Work stoppages in air transport services

The Finnish Aviation Union IAU has issued a formal warning of work stoppages in air transport services on Friday 2 May and Monday 5 May. The scope of these measures will include Finnair catering, passenger, ground handling and cargo services, and aircraft repair and maintenance work for the airline.

IAU launched a ban on overtime and shift changes in air transport services on March 17. The union reports that Finnair in particular is seeking a settlement that falls below the general trend in the labour market. This is not acceptable to IAU.

The Finnish Transport Workers’ Union AKT reached new settlements for most of its collective bargaining sectors at the start of the year. Ongoing negotiations nevertheless still include the terms and conditions of employment of Finnair cabin crews and of travel agency employees.

Termination policies agreed in several service sectors

Service Union United PAM negotiated new agreements for many of its major sectors in early April, including tourism, catering and leisure services, real estate services and security guarding. The associated wage increases for these three-year settlements total 7.8 per cent. Several PAM agreements now include practices or conditions governing termination of employment on individual grounds.

Theatre and Media Employees in Finland Teme approved a new collective agreement for the theatre industry at the end of March. The settlement increases wages by a total of 7.8 per cent over the three-year agreement period. Teme negotiations on the terms and conditions of employment of dance teachers have nevertheless stalled and the union has issued strike warnings at several dance schools.

The Finnish Musicians’ Union has approved collective agreements for the Finnish National Opera and Ballet, theatre musicians and the Savonlinna Opera Festival.

Negotiations on new collective agreements will be monitored on the Finnish-language SAK website.