Threatened Finnair strike cancelled for the time being

Stoppage on Tuesday morning could have grounded Finnair planes

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A threatened strike by technical employees of the Finnish airline Finnair has been called off.
      The strike, which could have grounded all of the national carrier's aircraft, was scheduled to begin on Tuesday morning.
      The deadline for a settlement was 4:00 PM Monday, Finnish time, but according to Antti Rinne, the Chairman of the Union of Salaried Employees, the union reached a suitable dialgue with the employers' side on Monday morning, allowing for the strike threat to be lifted. Discussions between Finnair and the company's pilots will also continue on Monday.
     
Issues under discussion with technical staff include recent announcements of personnel cuts.
      According to the Union of Salaried Employees (TU), the strike would bring aircraft maintenance to a halt, forcing Finnair to ground all domestic and foreign flights.
      However, TU chairman Antti Rinne said that any strike would only apply to the servicing of Finnair planes, and not to other airlines whose aircraft are serviced by Finnair.
     
About 700 people would be involved in industrial action if it came.
      At the Finnair subsidiary Finnair Cargo Terminal Operations, there is a dispute over the dismissal of 7 employees and changes to the contracts of 11.
      “The move is not based on changes in the job description, but rather the company’s personnel policy, which would weaken the terms of employment, when those who are moved would lose the bonuses contained in the contract for ordinary salaried employees”, says the TU’s Sirpa Lappi in a press release.
     
Finnair said on Saturday that the management side would discuss the threatened strike on Monday. Finnair emphasises that the action would not have any impact so far on the company or its customers.
      The union side says that during a possible strike, Finnair would not be able to guarantee its customers full flight security.
      The management side considered the planned strike unlawful, as the announcement came with only three days' warning and not the two weeks required by law.
     
Negotiations with Finnair pilots on a new contract remain open.


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