One-day strike brings Vuosaari Harbour to standstill
Nationwide action could start on 19th
|
|
|
The cranes at Vuosaari Harbour in the east of Helsinki stood motionless on Tuesday, as stevedores at the facility staged a one-day strike.
There were no pickets, as everyone knew that the action was on. Members of the head offices of Multi-Link were on hand to load some ships.
There were some stevedores at work in Vuosaari to make sure that essential goods, such as medicines and food, were not left out in the freezing weather.
Strike action also affected the harbours of Kotka, Naantali, Uusikaupunki, Turku, Hanko, and Kokkola.
Juha Mutru, managing director of the Finnish Port Operators Association, estimated that about half of goods traffic at Finnish harbours was at a standstill.
Mutru says that the strikes on Tuesday caused losses of tens of millions of euros in foreign trade.
The concerns were echoed by Mika Nykänen, head of communications for the Federation of Finnish Technology Industries. He noted that in the current economic situation, export deals are hard to come by.
“If we lose orders because of striking, the impact will be longer-lasting than losses caused by scheduling”, Nykänen says.
Stevedores also started a nationwide ban on overtime work. The move is seen to have a considerable impact on foreign trade, as many harbours virtually run on overtime.
About 1,000 port workers took part in Tuesday’s stoppage. On Wednesday, a strike also threatens the harbours of Oulu and Rauma. The local strikes were the initiative of local branches of the Finnish Transport Workers Union (AKT). “I have not had any information about them”, says AKT chairman Timo Räty.
Jape Lovén, head shop steward at Vuosaari, says that Tuesday’s action was prompted by the unwillingness of management to negotiate. The union side also said that management was spreading false information about the negotiation situation.
AKT has declared a full harbour strike as of February 19th. The core of the conflict is a union demand for better job security. The AKT’s demand for severance pay equivalent to 12 months’ wages for those who are terminated has angered the management side.
However, AKT notes that it was management that made a proposal about severance pay a few years ago: only the size of it is yet to be agreed upon. “Management does not want to discuss it”, Lovén says.
The union has indicated that the workers are ready for a long strike if the action begins on the 19th. The strike will begin if National Conciliator Esa Lonka does not manage to hammer out a settlement in the next two weeks.
Magnus Ström, secretary of the Helsinki chapter of stevedores, denies suggestions that harbour workers are especially strike-prone. He notes that the last time that there was a stevedores' strike was in 1991.
However, there have been occasional solidarity strikes, walkouts, and threats of industrial action along the way.
Helsingin Sanomat
|
| 3.2.2010 - TODAY |
 One-day strike brings Vuosaari Harbour to standstill |
|
