Threatened transport strike could have serious knock-on effects

print this

"Goodbye to the dawning development of the Finnish economy", laments a haulier on the phone. According to the entrepreneur, the road transport strike that threatens to begin in a week would paralyse both road transport and industry.
     
The industrial action to be launched by the Finnish Transport Workers’ Union (AKT) would involve approximately 40 businesses related to freight transport, tank transport, as well as bus transport. In addition, all harbours threaten to close down next Friday.
      During the planned strikes the supply of raw materials would come to a halt. Moreover, even if there were stocks, production should be stopped as companies do not have any storage depots for finished products. The finished products are normally shipped away right after production. In other words, when the wheels stop rolling, production comes to a halt.
     
Nevertheless, food would not vanish from the shelves of stores; previous experience has shown that the distribution of foodstuffs should continue as normal. Distributors are small-scale entrepreneurs who drive their delivery vans themselves.
      However, the food processing industry could get into trouble, as it needs for example shielding gases for the protection of food. The Finnish Food and Drink Industries’ Federation has already urged its member companies to store chemicals and packaging for the most urgent needs.
      At the same time, dairy transport is expected to continue, as the hauliers in the branch are small.
     Moreover, AKT has promised to guarantee the transport of animal fodder. In the event that the strike begins, fodder imports will be left outside of the strike.
     
Further trouble would be caused by the stoppage in fuel transport. Buildings that are heated with oil will get cold and queues will emerge at filling stations when people start hoarding petrol in canisters.
     
Moreover, commuters in large cities would face traffic problems. When it comes to public transport in the Greater Helsinki area, more than half of all trips are bus rides, while two-thirds of all buses would be affected by the strike. Only Helsingin Bussiliikenne, one of the bus operators in the Greater Helsinki area, would run as normal.
      ”It would be quite a gap. Some areas would be left without public transport services”, says Reijo Mäkinen, the Director of Transport Services Department at the Helsinki Region Transport.
      For example in Tampere, only the city’s own public transport services would continue to operate during the planned strike.
      The industrial action would involve even long-distance transport and Matkahuolto, a private service and marketing company specialising in bus and coach services that takes care of ticket sales and parcel services.
     
The planned stoppage at Finnish harbours not affect industrial ports with no stevedores who are AKT members. Such harbours include at least Neste Oil’s ports in Kilpilahti and Naantali, Rautaruukki’s ports of Raahe and Lappohja, and Ovako’s port of Koverhar.
     In terms of foreign trade, the most vulnerable harbours are Kotka, Hamina, Helsinki, Hanko, Rauma, and Oulu, which are the key ports of export for the Finnish forest and technology industries.
     National Conciliator Esa Lonka is making efforts to reach a settlement in the dispute concerning road transport and car traffic.
      The talks are to be resumed this week. Lonka could also request the Minister of Labour to postpone the beginning of the threatened strike action by two weeks in the name of public interest.


Previously in HS International Edition:
  Industrial action by stevedores shuts down much of Vuosaari harbour (13.3.2009)

Links:
  Transport Workers’ Union AKT
  Helsinki Region Transport
  Matkahuolto

Helsingin Sanomat