Union leader denies paper workers want additional four weeks off

SAK leader proposes cooling-off period

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As the management lockout in the Finnish pulp and paper industry continues, Jouko Ahonen, President of the Finnish Paperworkers' Union, has denied a report in Helsingin Sanomat according to which the union wants a reduction of 150 hours, or four weeks, in their members' annual working hours.
      The union has called for a reduction in annual working time in return for agreeing to an industry demand to give up the traditional Christmas and Midsummer shutdowns. However, Ahonen insisted on Saturday that the union does not imagine that it could get the other side to agree to such a demand.
      "We have not discussed our demands concerning working hours, nor have we presented anything to the other side, because the management side is holding on to its view so tenaciously."
      Ahonen also would not say what the target would be, noting that the union has not discussed the issue among its own people.
     
The Finnish Forest Industries Federation has offered monetary compensation, as well as an 11-hour cut in working hours, for those who might end up working at Christmas and Midsummer.
      The Paperworkers' Union has been calling for a cut in working hours for all union members, including those who work day shifts only, and who would not be directly affected by keeping the factories running during the holidays.
     
National Conciliator Juhani Salonius says that it is possible that a partial settlement of some kind might be sought for the dispute in the paper industry.
      In an interview in the financial newspaper Taloussanomat on Saturday, Salonius said that some of the more difficult issues could be postponed until later.
      On Friday, Lauri Ihalainen, President of the Central Organisation of Finnish Trade Unions (SAK) called for a "time out" in the labour dispute.
      Speaking at a meeting of the General Council of the SAK in Nurmijärvi on Friday, he urged a return to work and the postponement of negotiations until the autumn.
      "To support a settlement, a clear road map of the main questions in the dispute would be defined... In this way the atmosphere would be more conducive to a settlement in the autumn", Ihalainen said.
      Arto Tähtinen, Senior Vice President for Labour Market Policy at the Finnish Forest Industries' Federation, does not support Ihalainen's proposal for a cooling-off period.
      "Our task is to help the Conciliator and reach a settlement as quickly as possible", he said.
     
The Swedish Paper Workers Union has expanded the measures it has enacted to support the Finnish paper workers.
      On Friday, the union said that the ban on overtime, which took effect on Wednesday last week, would not end on June 1st as originally planned, but would continue "for now".
      The action affects 16 paper factories in Sweden in which Finnish companies have partial ownership.
      Other Swedish unions are reportedly also ready to come out in support of the Finns.
     
Mediation aimed at ending the dispute continues on Wednesday this week. The two sides met on Friday at the offices of Juhani Salonius, who sent them home after two hours "to do their homework".
      Friday's talks focused on the issue of production shutdowns.
      "They require some further study. I asked the sides to take a stand on the question, and I hope that I get them itemised as well as possible. The question is one of new ways of looking at the issue", Salonius explained.


Previously in HS International Edition:
  Paperworkers Union denounces industry lockout as irresponsible (20.5.2005)
  Paper lockout begins - shortage of products feared in coming weeks (19.5.2005)
  Sweden´s paper workers in overtime ban to support Finnish strikers (17.5.2005)

Helsingin Sanomat