Union of Salaried Employees offers to support Tehy

Parliament passes patient safety law 113-68

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The Union of Salaried Employees (TU) has promised to implement measures to assist the Union of Health and Social Care Professionals (Tehy) if Tehy wants such support. The offer of support came a day before the final reading of the government's bill for a patient safety law that would compel nurses to work at tasks considered vital for patient safety even if they are taking part in the Tehy mass resignation campaign.
      The measure was passed in Parliament at about noon by a vote of 113 to 68.
      The vote went strictly along party lines, with all representatives of the government parties - Centre Party, National Coalition Party, Green, and Swedish People's Party who were present at the vote supporting the bill, while those of the opposition parties, the Social Democrats, the Left Alliance, the Christian Democrats and the True Finns voting against it.
      The bill was immediately taken to the President to be signed into law.
     
TU Chairman Antti Rinne did not go into specifics on Thursday over what kinds of measures TU is willing to take, and in what companies.
      TU wants to both support Tehy, and to oppose the law on patient safety
      "The right to industrial action is a sacred matter for the trade union movement. The coercive law interferes with this fundamental right. This is really serious matter", Rinne said. In his view, the law will only draw out the situation with Tehy.
      "We have industrial jobs at our disposal, jobs in the energy sector and in information technology", Rinne said at a press conference.
      "They could be walk-outs, longer absences from the workplace, and even strikes of several days", Rinne said, describing the possible actions that might be taken.
     
TU hopes to put pressure on the Finnish government through the affiliate members of the Confederation of Finnish Industry (EK) to seek a solution to the labour dispute that Tehy is involved in.
     
On of the four neurology wards at Helsinki University Central hospital is to be closed if the mass resignations of nurses takes effect on Monday.
      Patients have already been sent home as needed, and others have been placed in other wards.
      Head physician Markus Färkkilä believes that there will be enough beds for patients for at least the first week of the labour dispute. The largest group of patients at the clinic are stroke victims.
      Färkkilä himself says that he supports the nurses' pay demands. In his view, work on the ward and at the clinic is very demanding, and he notes that there has been a shortage of nurses that has lasted for years.
      "I believe that common sense will win, and that a settlement will be reached", Färkkilä says.


Previously in HS International Edition:
  Mediation board begins efforts to reach settlement in labour dispute between nurses and municipal employers (1.11.2007)
  Helsinki and Uusimaa Hospital District planning patient transfers (15.11.2007)
  Parliament passes text of patient protection bill (13.11.2007)

Links:
  Government prepares legislation to keep some nurses at work (6.11.2007)

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