Strike to begin at all Finnish ski resorts today

Pay dispute remains unsettled

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On Friday afternoon, the slope workers are to go on strike at all Finnish ski resorts, with the sole exception of Levi in Lapland, and staff will stay off work until Monday morning.
      In other words, the lifts will not be running anywhere, but the FIS Alpine Ski World Cup event scheduled for this weekend in Levi will not be affected.
     
The strike is to begin at 14:00 in the afternoon and it is scheduled to end at 06:00 on Monday morning.
      The strike has been organised by the Service Union United PAM, a union for employees working in the private service sectors, and it will apply to all employees handling lifts, snow cannons, ticket sales, and equipment rentals.
      In addition, at Ruka in Kuusamo, all PAM members working at the hotels, restaurants, and shops, including cleaners and maintenance workers, are joining in the industrial action. The sympathy strike will end at 6 a.m. on Sunday morning.
     
On Thursday, the representatives of PAM and those of the employers had brief discussions at National Conciliator Esa Lonka’s office, trying to explore whether or not a settlement could be reached.
      After the meeting, Lonka said that it was not possible for him to give any proposal for a settlement, as the differences in views relating to salary increases remained so far apart.
     
Through the industrial action PAM is seeking a three-per-cent salary increase. The employers have so far offered a 0.5 per cent raise in the autumn plus a profit-based bonus after the winter season.
      After the conciliation talks had failed, PAM chairwoman Ann Selin said on Thursday that the views of the parties involved in the conflict had not come any closer to each other. Selin added that over the weekend the union will evaluate further ways to put pressure on the employers.
     
The ski resorts employ a large number of seasonal workers, which is why it is difficult to evaluate the precise number of employees on strike. However, according to some estimates, the number of strikers is around 1,000, including those on sympathy strike in Ruka.
      At Ruka, the foremen have already rolled up their sleeves in order to keep as many facilities as possible operating during the upcoming industrial action.
      No date for further talks with the National Conciliator has been set.
     
Levi worked out an exemption from the dispute with PAM, owing to the massive local losses that would have been incurred if the FIS slalom World Cup events had had to be cancelled.
      Most of the world's top Alpine skiers will be taking part in the weekend's two competitions, including Finland's own Tanja Poutiainen, who started her World Cup campaign with a giant slalom victory in Sölden last month.


Previously in HS International Edition:
  Levi ski resort tries to wiggle its way out of impending strike (6.11.2009)

See also:
  Poutiainen gets dream start to FIS World Cup season and Olympic year (26.10.2009)

Links:
  FIS Alpine Ski World Cup, Levi, November 13th-15th, 2009

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