Harbour operators fear stevedores' strike will weaken competitiveness of Finnish transito traffic services

National Conciliator to call parties together on Tuesday+

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The ports and businesses in Russia and the Baltic States aim to benefit from the industrial actions by Finland stevedores, says Steveco CEO Kari Savolainen. According to him, the strike weakens the competitiveness of transito traffic through Finland.
      Steveco is Finland’s largest harbour operator. More than half of the import containers handled by Steveco contain goods bound for Russia.
      “The clients using our services have reported to us that the competing routes in Russia and in the Baltic States have made offers to move the traffic to their harbours. Naturally the offers also apply to the time even after the strike. The competitors do not rest on their laurels”, Savolainen explains.
     
The attractiveness of direct St. Petersburg transportations has been reduced by Russia’s whimsical bureaucracy. The assets of transito traffic through Finland have been its reliability and effectiveness.
      “Now it seems we are doing everything we can to destroy the good image we have had. Some business has already moved elsewhere”, frets Savolainen.
      Finnsteve CEO Perttu Piri has not heard of any offers by foreign competitors. Still, he too agrees that the strike has a negative effect on the credibility of the domestic transportation routes.
     
Minister of Labour Anneli Sinnemäki (Green League) said on Saturday while speaking in Salo that she had no plans to start renewing the Finnish system of maintaining industrial peace.
      Last week the Confederation of Finnish Industry (EK) suggested that the fines imposed on unions for illegal strikes be raised and the damages caused by such actions be made reimbursable.
      “The right to strike is written in our Constitution and it has been sanctified by international agreements. This right is incontestable”, Sinnemäki said.
     
At present it seems that the stevedores’ strike will continue at least until Tuesday.
      Discussions between the two sides will continue at 13:00 on Tuesday afternoon, led by the National Conciliator Esa Lonka.
      Currently around 3,000 stevedores are on strike, and much of Finland’s import and export industries are suffering the consequences.
      The forest industry estimates that it is losing 30 million euros from the strike each day, and that mill closures are inevitable.
      Daily losses for the technology industry add up to 70 million euros.


Previously in HS International Edition:
  Tempers flare over harbour strike (5.3.2010)
  Stevedores´ strike at Finnish seaports begins (4.3.2010)

Links:
  Steveco

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