Finnish harbour workers took part in a European protest action on Wednesday to protest a proposed European Union harbour directive. About 50,000 harbour workers took part in the action in different countries.
Stevedores at Finnish harbours left work four hours before the end of the morning and evening shifts.
In Finland, the stoppage caused delays in goods transport. Passenger services were not affected.
The Finnish Transport Workers’ Union (AKT) says that the proposed directive, which would allow ships crews to load ships, threatens jobs and work safety at seaports.
The European Parliament will debate the proposed directive next week.
The Confederation of Finnish Industry (EK) denounced the AKT action. In the view of EK, the stoppage caused significant harm to Finnish imports and exports.
AKT pointed out that the section of the proposed directive, concerning the self-handling of a ship’s load, is in violation of a treaty of the International Labour Organisation, which Finland ratified in 1976. Under the treaty, registered stevedores must be given priority in harbour work.
