We have the right to strike

The Finnish cons­ti­tu­tion guaran­tees the free­dom to orga­nise in a trade union. The right to strike is also guaran­teed under Finnish legislation.

A strike means emplo­yees tempo­ra­rily stop work. It can be a total work stop­page or cover only some part of the work done in the company or in the branch. The union deci­des the form, length and cove­rage of the strike. A strike is always a collec­tive measure, not individual.

Emplo­y­ment conti­nues during the strike, but without salary. To compen­sate for this loss, the unions offer strike pay. The union is respon­sible for the strike, not indi­vi­dual emplo­yees. The emplo­yer has no right to pres­sure or disc­ri­mi­nate against stri­king people in any way, neit­her during the strike nor after it.

The Finnish cons­ti­tu­tion guaran­tees the free­dom to orga­nise in a trade union.

Once a collec­tive agree­ment is signed stri­kes against it become ille­gal. Emplo­yers buy industrial peace with the agree­ment, too. During that time, even short stri­kes are consi­de­red ille­gal. The Labour Court deci­des on such cases. It may also order the union or its local chap­ter to pay a fine. Indi­vi­dual union members never have to pay fines, always the union.

But, once the agree­ment expi­res, there is no legal restric­tion on stri­kes. The union plan­ning to strike must deli­ver a strike warning no later than 14 days before the start of the strike. It is given to the emplo­yer and the Natio­nal Conciliator.

There can also be fully legal stri­kes that do not focus on the collec­tive agree­ment. A sympathy strike is orga­ni­sed to show support for the strike of anot­her branch or union. It is a soli­da­rity action for people usually in a very difficult situa­tion in their own collec­tive bargaining.

Anot­her legal form of a strike is a poli­tical strike. It is not against one’s own collec­tive agree­ment but, for instance, a demon­stra­tion against some plan­ned legis­la­tion to under­mine the posi­tion of wage and salary earners.

Strange Govern­ment plans afoot

As one of their most urgent tasks, the govern­ment plans to curb the right to strike this autumn. One plan is to limit the right to conduct poli­tical stri­kes. Accor­ding to the Govern­ment Programme, this right shall be limi­ted to one day.

The same urgency concerns union soli­da­rity actions. These should be ”propor­tio­nate in rela­tion to the objec­ti­ves” and ”only affect the parties to the labour dispute”. This would mean good­bye to soli­da­rity actions for weaker unions in need.

A strange and perhaps not even legal plan is to make union members pay a 200 euro fine should they conti­nue a strike which the Labour Court has found to be unlaw­ful. The purpose of this is obviously to scare people away from joining stri­kes in gene­ral. Howe­ver, the fine would only cover those extre­mely rare cases when ille­gal stri­kes conti­nue after a court decision.

These govern­ment ideas are not yet laws. But one thing is certain, unions will defend their members’ right to strike.