Technology industry office workers threaten strike
No agreement reached on structure of pay contract
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Negotiations on a new pay deal by the Union of Salaried Employees (TU) and Finnish Technology Industries broke down on Friday, and on Saturday, and TU said that it was preparing for a strike.
The industrial action is initially scheduled to begin on October 22nd in six or seven companies.
TU Chairman Antti Rinne says that such a strike would bring the companies affected to a complete halt. Initially, the action would involve between 2,500 and 3,000 people.
The two sides have negotiated through the mediation of National Conciliator Juhani Salonius since late September, and progress has been reported on some fronts. Now TU is returning to its original starting point in its demands.
Rinne says that TU nevertheless wants to avert a strike. The negotiations continue on Tuesday.
On Monday TU will announce which companies the strike would apply to. TU has members working in the electronics and electricity industry, in engineering and the metal industry, and in metallurgy, as well as information technology.
Management and labour disagree on when company-based pay extras should be paid out.
TU says that the pay hikes of low-income employees should be set as a flat sum, and that those with higher wages should get a percentage-based pay increase.
The employers' side wants pay hikes to be set as a percentage applicable to all employees.
Rinne sees the issue as a gender equality matter, as lower-paid white collar employees in the technology industry are mostly women, and would benefit more from pay increases set as a flat sum, rather than a percentage.
TU says that it also wants to improve job security for those most at risk of being laid off. The employers' side opposes the idea.
The industry reached agreement on a contract with higher-ranking office workers and members of the Metalworkers' Union.
The agreement was not acceptable for TU.
Helsingin Sanomat
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| 8.10.2007 - TODAY |
 Technology industry office workers threaten strike |
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