Helsinki Airport security personnel observe strike

Some of the security personnel in the Helsinki Airport walked out on Monday to protest against one of their colleagues' layoff for wearing a pink ribbon, which is an international symbol of breast cancer awareness, local media reported.

Nearly 30 security check workers, who belong to the Finnish Aviation Union (IAU), participated in the work stoppage from 12:00 a.m. to 16:30 p.m. local time on Monday. The action was directed towards their employer Airpro, an aviation service company.

The employee was dismissed, as he had received a warning from Airpro for wearing a pink ribbon on his uniform, but refused to take it out, according to a Finnish language tabloid Iltasanomat.

Janne Hattula, managing director of Airpro, told the newspaper that the employee's dismissal related to the appearance of staff uniforms, saying that the workwear should be neat and uniform.

IAU's vice chair Pekka Kahkonen told national broadcaster Yle that some of airport staff members, wore the pink ribbons during October, which is the Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

Kahkonen believed that the employer's reaction was somewhat excessive, even though they would have an official reason to ban the wearing of a pink ribbon.

Finavia, the Finnish airport operator, earlier told media that the walkout could cause delays at security checkpoints of Helsinki Airport from 14:00 p.m. to 18:00 p.m. on Monday.

The 22-year-old employee told Iltasanomat later that his wearing the pink ribbon aims to support his mother, who is suffering from breast cancer. "I fight for my mother," he said.