Finnair threatened by new luggage handlers’ strike

Backlog of baggage from previous action remains

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Industrial action by ground staff at Helsinki-Vantaa Airport could expand on Tuesday to apply to Finnair and other airlines.
      Reijo Hautamäki, vice chairman of the Finnish Aviation Union (IAU) said on Sunday that the union has held all the discussions it wants to hold with Barona Group, the human resources company to which Finnair sold its ground services.
      No talks are scheduled for today, Monday. Hautamäki noted that the two sides had spent three days in talks - to no avail.
     
Hautamäki warned that if Barona does not agree to the union’s demands, the action will expand significantly. A decision on the matter is to come at a meeting of the IAU executive at 10:00 AM Tuesday.
      “This will target Finnair. It was Finnair that sold the company at night, as they say.”
      “If we end up taking industrial action, it will apply to everyone. We are seeking backup from transport unions and elsewhere. It won’t help if Barona brings in any kinds of people from abroad to carry suitcases.”
     
Just over a week ago Finnair made a deal where it sold the ground services operations of the Finnair-owned company Northport to Barona. The deal included an agreement to take on the 500 employees.
      As a result of the deal, ground services personnel at Helsinki-Vantaa Airport walked off their jobs, and did not come back until Friday. The strike led to a massive backlog of luggage at the airport, which still has not been fully cleared up.
     
The main issue, according to Hautamäki, is that the IAU wants Barona to agree to a one-year period during which baggage handlers cannot be terminated, or placed on part time contracts. Temporary layoffs would be permitted, however.
      Hautamäki suspects that Barona hopes to move to a system where baggage handlers would end up on short-term contracts.
     
Barona Group CEO Markus Oksa still believed on Sunday that there would be talks on Monday.
      “The situation is now where it was left on Friday. IAU made an impossible proposal for a contract, and asked for a response by Sunday evening.”
      The company rejected the proposals immediately.
      “In three minutes we could see that there were new items, and items on which there had been agreement had been altered. We gave our response immediately.”
      Oksa promises, however, that the chaotic situation that ensued with luggage last week would not be repeated. Barona aims at dealing with luggage by using outside contractors, and employees who might want to stay at work in spite of a strike.
      He accused the union of playing with fire and spreading rumours and outright lies.
      “One year of job security is completely impossible in this economic situation.”


Previously in HS International Edition:
  Finnair outsources 630 jobs in ground handling and cargo terminal operations (1.12.2009)
  Finnair cancels further flights on Friday UPDATED 14:30 Ground staff return to work (4.12.2009)
  Finnair cancels many flights on Thursday (3.12.2009)

Helsingin Sanomat