Rollercoaster continues: supermarket supplies restored before another strike threatens to close food processing plants again

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Finnish foodstuffs industry workers returned to their jobs late on Tuesday night when the lockout introduced on Monday evening by the Finnish Food and Drink Industries Federation (ETL) ended abruptly.
     
The processing of food will now continue again - for the time being.
      The Finnish Food Workers' Union (SEL) has not managed to negotiate and sign a new collective ageement for its five different sectors, including the bakery, meat processing, dairy, soft drink and brewery industries, after the previous agreement expired at the end of March.
      Before the next strike threat, the supplies of goods to supermarket shelves and cold cabinets will be almost fully restored, as it will be possible to continue the processing of food for almost one week before the next planned strike begins.
     
Apparently, the conflict in the foodstuffs industry is set to continue, however.
      After having already staged two strikes during the current labour dispute, the employees’ side (SEL) will begin a five-day stoppage from Wednesday May 5th, unless a settlement is reached by then. The threatened strike would be restricted only to a part of food production plants.
     
This would only be the overture, however. If no agreement is signed by then, the employees' side (SEL) threaten to begin another strike from May 11th. This later strike would cover all the food industry sectors, closing all major plants, and it would continue until a new collective agreement is reached in the food processing branch.
      Negotiations are to resume in the National Conciliator’s Office at 17:00 on Sunday May 2nd.
     
Following alternate strikes and lockouts, Jussi Murtomaa, the owner of the K-Market Naapuri in the Vantaanlaakso district of Vantaa, has had to resort to some special arrangements.
      ”I have searched high and low for suppliers through the Kesko Group's Intranet, while making phone calls in all directions, asking to buy merchandise. I have managed quite well to find goods to substitute for our regular products”, Murtomaa reports.
      The supplies of frankfurters, ground meat, and other meat products have been sufficient.
     
On the other hand, the shelves of convenience foods in the store are almost empty.
      ”The assortments of convenience foods are almost entirely in the hands of the major suppliers, including HK, Atria, and Saarioinen, which have been most heavily affected by the industrial action”, Murtomaa notes.
      However, being resourceful, Murtomaa has bought good old-fashioned cabbage pie, which he has packed himself, to replace ready-made casseroles.
     
Until now, Murtomaa has been able to cope with the situation, as the different stoppages have each been relatively short-lived and the food producers affected by them have alternated.
      However, if the five-day strike begins next Wednesday and possibly expands later on, retailers will be facing a very different picture and things could get quite serious.
      ”I do not know what will happen if all taps are turned off. At that point, I expect Ruokakesko to issue some instructions”, Murtomaa assumes.
      Ruokakesko (”Kesko Food”) is a subsidiary engaged in the grocery trade within Kesko, the leading provider of trading sector services in Finland, and the company behind the K-stores and supermarkets that are spread across the country.
     
We do not plan to begin any massive imports because of the ongoing industrial actions, and our stores will not run out of food, asserts Matti Halmesmäki, the President and CEO of Kesko.
      As the retailers belonging to the Kesko Group largely lean on local suppliers, they can also find ways to obtain merchandise during a lockout or a strike.
      When presenting Kesko’s interim financial report on Tuesday, Halmesmäki said that he was surprised and ”somewhat unhappy ” about the increased readiness of Finns to go on strike.
     
However, one thing is sure: Vappu (May Eve and May Day) will be celebrated in any case in a traditional way.
      Traditional Vappu foods, including mead and funnel cakes will not run out, as they have been ordered in good time. Doughnuts and baguettes will be baked in the store, while frankfurters will be supplied by a smaller producer.


Previously in HS International Edition:
  Lockout looming over food production (26.4.2010)
  Food workers´ lockout to end abruptly on Tuesday evening - employees considering return to work (27.4.2010)
  Foodstuffs strike caused supermarket bread and meat selections to become more limited (23.4.2010)
  Food workers start three-day strike at selected bakeries and meat processing plants (7.4.2010)
  One food strike is averted; a bigger one is still pending, as is lockout from employers´ side (12.4.2010)
  Three-day strike in food production begins (21.4.2010)

Links:
  National Conciliator´s Office
  Finnish Food Workers´Union (SEL)
  The Finnish Food and Drink Industries Federation (ETL)

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