Transport strike ends - guidelines drafted for part-time work

print this

A labour contract bringing to an end a strike by bus and lorry drivers was signed on Thursday evening. The stoppage, which began on Sunday, came to an end after a mediation proposal put forward by National Conciliator Juhani Salonius was accepted by the Finnish Transport Workers Union (AKT) and the Road Transport Employers' Association (ALT).
      The new two-year contract will expire at the end of January 2008.
      Drivers started going back to work already on Thursday evening, and normal services were expected on Friday. The strike had stopped about half of Finnish bus services and road transport. Waste disposal was also affected by the strike.
     
AKT President Timo Räty said that the contract was made possible by the fact that guidelines had now been set for part-time work.
      The mediated settlement offered by Salonius did not bring any significant changes to the status quo, but the two parties have agreed on a set of ground rules for the future.
      The drivers have also secured a salary increase of slightly more than 6 per cent over two years. Timo Räty said that the hike is in line with wage developments in industry. ALT Chairman Hannu Parvela said that the pay hike will be costly.
     
Under the new guidelines, transport companies will be allowed to have only two part-time drivers per depot. The contract allows for flexibility if required by heavy traffic, scheduling, or other similar reasons. AKT originally wanted to limit the number of part-time drivers to one.
      The two sides also agreed to set up a board of arbitration, with representatives of the workers and management, to deal with disagreements concerning part-time work. The board would have a neutral chairperson.
     
The dispute over part-time work has concerned the so-called wage guarantee system, in which a driver's pay is determined on the basis of a two-week work working period.
      Full-time drivers are entitled to a certain number of hours if pay even if they work less than the 80-hour quota.
      Part-time drivers can be hired if there are not enough full-time drivers to take care of scheduled services.


Previously in HS International Edition:
  THURSDAY: Road transport strike ends in negotiated settlement (9.3.2006)
  Negotiators to attempt settlement in bus strike today (8.3.2006)
  Transport strike causes immediate problems for refuse collection (7.3.2006)
  Transport strike continues, mediation effort rejected Sunday night (6.3.2006)

Helsingin Sanomat