No problems in monetary transfers on first day of 3-day bank strike

Debit cards and cash machines operate in spite of strike

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Monday, the first day of a three-day protest strike by bank employees, did not cause major problems for financial traffic, according to Finnish banks and credit card companies.
      The stoppage over a pay dispute has closed all branch offices of Finnish banks.
      “The day was calm. A busier one was expected”, says Johanna Suhonen, communications and marketing director of Luottokunta, which deals with most Visa and Eurocard services for Finnish banks.
      Suhonen says that nothing exceptional occurred in the use of bank and credit cards. Cards requiring online authentication also worked well in stores, cash machines, and taxis.
     
The strike is not affecting the availability of cash in automatic teller machines.
      Cash deliveries between the Bank of Finland, Otto ATMs, and large businesses are taking place even during the strike, because employees of Automatia, which services the cash machines, and personnel of cash delivery companies are mostly not in the same labour unions as personnel working in bank branch offices.


Previously in HS International Edition:
  Three-day strike closes banks from Monday (14.12.2009)
  Strike to close banks on Monday (10.12.2009)

Helsingin Sanomat