Solidarity actions by SAK affiliates to boost Industrial Union collective bargaining

The Industrial Union issued a strike warning today affecting 63 enterprises in the technology and chemical industries. These strikes would begin on 3 February and end on 8 February 2025. The Industrial Union also issued a strike warning concerning work at sites of UPM Plywood Ltd and UPM-Kymmene Corporation over the same period.

The Industrial Union already previously announced strikes to commence on 27 January and end on 1 February 2025. These strike warnings affect 50 enterprises in the technology and chemical industries.
The dispute has arisen in the context of failure to reach a settlement in collective bargaining.

The sympathy industrial actions seek to boost and support the efforts of the Industrial Union to secure reasonable terms and conditions of employment for its members, with wage increases that will improve their purchasing power and strengthen their livelihoods.

Support measures have also been announced by the Electrical Workers’ Union, the Construction Trade Union and Service Union United PAM. Service Union United PAM. The Finnish Transport Workers’ Union AKT, the Public and Welfare Sectors Union JHL and Seafarers’ Union. have announced blockades.

Click here for a summary of ongoing industrial action (in Finnish).

Why take solidarity actions?

Employer representatives have long coordinated their own objectives and measures. This also encourages their affiliated businesses to collaborate more closely.

While each SAK trade union continues to negotiate agreements for its industry independently, unions apply lawful sympathetic measures to support one another in collective bargaining.

SAK unions provide mutual support so that each achieves its own objectives in turn. The SAK unions are now seeking to ensure that the settlements negotiated in industry suffice to ensure decent terms and conditions of employment for industrial workers.

What does this sympathy industrial action mean in practice?

Sympathetic industrial actions will be taken by other trade unions. The explicit function and aim of this action is to boost collective bargaining by the Industrial Union. The sympathetic industrial strike will target the bargaining sectors in which the Industrial Union is negotiating, and sectors affected by the main industrial dispute.

The sympathy industrial action will take the form of sympathy strikes at target enterprises notified by the Industrial Union during a strike called by that union, and of handling embargoes at ports and railway yards and of handling blockades at ports and railway yards.

New legislation stipulates that sympathetic actions may not be disproportionate. Sympathy industrial strike will be taken in a manner that seeks to focus its impact on the main industrial dispute.

What is a sympathy strike?

Sympathy industrial strike in support of lawful industrial action (the main industrial dispute).

Sympathy strikes support the achievement of a collective bargaining settlement, and are subject to prior notification by law or collective agreement.

What is an blockade?

Blockade is a form of solidarity action in which employees at work decline to handle the goods or cargo of a particular enterprise or operator. Blockade seeks to boost a collective bargaining process by preventing the movement of products or raw materials sent or received by enterprises that are parties to an industrial dispute.

How do these actions affect national security?

The actions are not directed at targets of importance to national security. SAK trade unions operate responsibly, with health and safety-related sectors and functions always excluded from industrial action.

It should also be noted that issues related solely to security of supply are no lawful obstacle to industrial action.

Updated 22.1.2025, 23.1.2025