Unions representing Finland’s municipal employees unanimously rejected a proposal for a new labour contract in negotiations on Sunday evening. There was agreement only on the duration of a new contract - two years.
According to the unions, the contract that was offered by the employers’ side contained insufficient pay increases, and it did not provide for a sufficient improvement of the status of employee shop stewards.
Erkki Kangasniemi, chairman of the Trade Union of Education in Finland (OAJ) says that the unions were in agreement that the proposed contract was not acceptable. “More time is needed”.
The aim of the planned two-year duration of the contract is to synchronise it with the timing of the current contract with the Union of Health and Social Care Professionals (TEHY), which runs out in 2011.
Pay hikes during the 2.5-year contract period which ended on Sunday were a staggering 11 per cent.
In spite of Sunday’s rejection of the proposed contract, there is no imminent threat of any strike action, and negotiations have not been broken off.
