Centralised incomes agreement finalised after delays - harbour workers opt out

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Finland's broad-based incomes agreement was finalised on Thursday afternoon, about a day behind schedule, after the Confederation of Finnish Industry (EK) dropped its demand that all unions in the transport chain must be part of the agreement.
      Opting out of the agreement were Finland's stevedores, after the national incomes conciliator Juhani Salonius gave up his efforts to forge an agreement between the Finnish Transport Workers' Union (AKT) and the Finnish Port Operators' Association concerning Finland's harbour workers.
      At the signing of the contract, the leaders of the various labour market associations praised the agreement itself, each other, and the input of the national government.
      The agreement was seen as an indication of the strength of Finland's tripartite negotiation system. However, some critical voices were also heard.
     
EK Director-General Leif Fagernäs denied that the employers had given in to the transport workers.
      Fagernäs said that the risk that the settlement would have collapsed, and negotiations would have continued with separate unions, would have been worse than the possible problems down the line in Finland's harbours.
      The stevedores' contract is up for renewal early next year.
     
Two other unions, the Federation of Special Services and Clerical Employees (Erto), and Suora, the union representing employees in the finance sector, also received proposals for a settlement from the office of Juhani Salonius.
      The official responses of the unions are expected today, Friday. However, Erto chairman Antti Rinne said in the evening that he feels that it is unlikely that a contract will be reached in any of the fields represented, because the employers' side wants a package deal for all of the sectors.
      The bank employees were ready to accept the mediation proposal already on Thursday evening.
     
After the signing of the broad-based incomes agreement, the government and Parliament are set to enact the tax cuts promised as an incentive for a moderate contract.
      A number of individual unions are not covered by the agreement, including two key blue-collar groups - the Construction Union, with 80,000 members, and the Paperworkers' Union, with 27,000 members.


Previously in HS International Edition:
  Deadline for incomes agreement postponed until Thursday afternoon (16.12.2004)
  Metal hammers out incomes agreement - talks stalled on many sectors (15.12.2004)
  Incomes agreement to go now to individual sectors for approval (30.11.2004)
  Broad-based incomes agreement reached early Monday afternoon (29.11.2004)

Helsingin Sanomat