Dockworker's strike halts in Finland as union accepts a new collective deal but foreign trade paralyzed

Posted on March 3, 2023   |  

The Finnish Transport Workers' Union (AKT) ended a 2-week dockworkers' strike as the AKT board accepted a collective deal.

The new deal will have salary increases of 6.3% during the contract period and delayed installments amounting to 1,100 euros per worker.

The dockworkers' strike has been going on for 2-weeks, which has halted all exports and imports through Finland’s harbors and stalled postal deliveries, paralyzing the country’s foreign trade, with no imports and exports taking place at any of the ports.

The strike began on 15 February, stopped imports and exports through Finland’s ports, and has cut the country’s Gross Domestic Product by 0.35% a week equivalent to €950 million.

The outcome of the negotiations is expected to be approved by the executive board of the Port Operators group; the board will begin considering the deal at 7 pm and the content of the agreement will be declared after approval.

However, on Wednesday, the AKT launched a bus drivers’ strike that shut down up to 90% of public bus services in the Helsinki region and other major urban areas.

Moreover, Sajavaara issued a settlement proposal in a labor dispute in the railway sector, with a threatened strike looming on Monday.

The Trade Union for the Public and Welfare Sectors (JHL) has declared two rail workers’ walkouts, the first on 6-10 March and the second on 13-17 March.