Print journalists' collective bargaining talks break down

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The Federation of the Finnish Media Industry (VKL) broke off its collective bargaining talks with the Finnish Union of Journalists on Wednesday.
      The views of the two negotiating parties on pay increases differed so much that it was considered not worthwhile to continue the talks.
      In the course of the negotiations, the proposed duration of a new contract varied from one year to 2.5 years.
      The key question appeared to be the level of the current autumn’s general salary increase. The initial request made by the Union of Journalists (SJL) was 5.9% for everybody, starting from October 1st, but the sum eventually declined to 3.9%.
     
The employer proposed a one-year deal with a 2.2% general pay increase at the beginning of October plus a local supplement of 1.6 % next spring. In addition, the proposed package would have included a flat fee of EUR 300 for every journalist.
      The counter-offer made by SJL was a 3.9 % general salary increase now, plus a further 2% local supplement next spring.
      Both Johanna Varis, the director of labour market matters at VKL, and Arto Nieminen, the chairman of SJL, reported that the negotiations failed as a consequence of the different views of the two parties on the current autumn’s general salary increase.
     
The Union Board of SJL is to discuss the situation on Thursday, with a number of alternatives to be proposed to the SJL Union Council that is to convene on Friday. The alternatives include industrial actions of some kind or a new round of talks.
      The collective agreement of some 8,000 Finnish print journalists expired on Tuesday.


Links:
  Union of Journalists in Finland (SJL)
  Federation of the Finnish Media Industry (VKL) (in Finnish)

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