Border guards reject negotiation result - strike continues

Parliament may have to return from summer recess for debate on emergency legislation

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The strike by personnel of the Finnish Frontier Guard is set to continue, after the executive board of the Guards' Union unanimously rejected the settlement paper that was brought to them by the union's negotiators.
      According to union president Reijo Kortelainen, the settlement proposal was inadequate and unacceptable.
     
On Monday the union left its own proposal for a new contract. According to Kortelainen, the demands in the proposal were not sufficiently taken into account.
      The dispute focuses largely on money and the implementation of new state guidelines on pay for civil servants.
      No date has been set for further talks.
     
Also undecided are the limits to the strike during the IAAF World Championships in Athletics in Helsinki in August.
      Members of Parliament have been advised to prepare for the possibility that Parliament might be convened in July to pass special legislation to put limits on strike action at a time when security is paramount.
      Under a government proposal, the concept of emergency work would be expanded in such a way that civil servants who are members of different trade unions would do the work of the border guards.
      Reijo Kortelainen said that the union is ready to discuss issues of security during the competition. He emphasised that in negotiations that have continued for six months, the only target has been to achieve a contract. He said that there was no intention to jeopardise the athletics event.
      The main negotiator for the Frontier Guard Staff, Commodore Matti Möttönen, who had spent hours on Wednesday attempting to see through a solution, stated that the ball was now completely in the employees' court, both on the pay issues and on the matter of security for the World Championships. Möttönen expressed his astonishment that the exceutive board could have walked over the deal built by negotiators.
     
The current strike is to continue on the south-eastern border until July 23rd. Under the present plan, the action would then proceed in steps, and in the final stages it would involve Helsinki-Vantaa International Airport and all of Helsinkis harbours.
     
The 10th IAAF World Championships take place in Helsinki on August 6th - 14th. The hosts have the task of providing security for more than 2,000 athletes from more than 200 countries. The city is expecting 10,000 to 15,000 foreign tourists, plus more than 3,000 media representatives.
      Anyone seeking hotel rooms in the Helsinki area in the second week of August is right out of luck, and many locals have decided the best bet is to get out of town and rent their apartments on lucrative short leases for the duration of the games.
      The championships will also be shown to more than 180 countries with a cumulative worldwide television audience of more than 4 billion.


Previously in HS International Edition:
  Negotiators in Frontier Guard conflict reach agreement (22.6.2005)
  Negotiating parties to define limits to border guard strike (20.6.2005)

Links:
  10th IAAF World Championships in Atletics, Helsinki, Aug. 6-14, 2005

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