No challengers emerged at the Congress of the Paperworkers’ Union on Thursday, and consequently, incumbent President Jouko Ahonen was unanimously chosen to lead the union for another four-year term.
The unopposed election was a boost for Ahonen’s struggle in the current labour dispute with the Forest Industries Federation, which has imposed a lockout on Finland’s pulp and paper factories.
The 51-year-old Ahonen said that the union is unanimously behind the decision to reject the recent mediation proposal made by National Conciliator Juhani Salonius.
He also said that he believes that a solution to the disagreement over management calls to eliminate the traditional Midsummer and Christmas shutdowns will be found, "once the price tag is right".
The union remains adamantly opposed to industry demands that cleaning services at paper factories be subcontracted. Currently paper factory cleaners are members of the union and enjoy union wages. The Paperworkers’ Union calculates that the employer demands would effectively cut cleaners’ pay by 30-50%.
Delegates at the Congress praised Ahonen as a level-headed negotiator, and a man who speaks for the rank and file of the union.
"He is a negotiator for the long haul. He is not the first to lay down the gloves. Instead, he sees the negotiations to the end", says Jukka Virta of the Kauttua factory in Eura.
Jouko Ahonen served as head shop steward at the M-real paper factory in Jyväskylä. He was chosen to complete the term of the previous union President, Jarmo Lähteenmäki, who left the post two years ago.
