Ongoing strike at UPM mills extended by 3 more weeks

The going strike of the Finnish Paperworkers’ Union at the mills of the forest-based industry company UPM has been extended by three more weeks until 2 April, said the UPM in a press release on Thursday.

Intense negotiations between UPM and Paperworkers’ Union continued ant the union announced to extend the strike further at most UPM’s Finnish mills unless new collective labour agreements are reached before that.

The Paperworkers’ Union’s strike at UPM Pulp, UPM Biofuels, UPM Communication Papers, UPM Specialty Papers and UPM Raflatac units in Finland started on 1 January and extended several times.

Currently, approximately 200 union members work at the mills in tasks critical to society, such as power plants and water treatment facilities.

“In recent weeks the parties have negotiated both in the presence of the National Concialiator as well as in one-on-one negotiations. The parties now are familiar with each other’s objectives, so the negotiators have the chance to bargain and reach business-specific agreements,” said Jyrki Hollmén, Vice President, Labour markets, UPM.

“Intense negotiations will continue. We call for rapid progress and spirit of compromise, so we can find satisfactory solutions for all parties and start our mills again. UPM businesses are doing their best to advance an open dialogue between the negotiating parties,” Hollmén added.

Earlier, on 22 January the Transport Workers’ Union (Auto- ja Kuljetusalan Työntekijäliitto-AKT) announced a blockade against the forest-based industry company UPM to support the ongoing strikes of the Paperworkers’ Union and the Finnish Electrical Workers´ Union.

On 21 January, the Helsinki District Court issued a ruling that the heat production and water treatment units at all the plants of the forest-based industry company UPM must be kept outside of the ongoing strike enforced by the Finnish Paperworkers’ Union.

The court issued the order after hearing from both the parties following an plea submitted by the UPM authority.

According to the court ruling, the Paperworkers' Union must stop all strike action at all the plants of UPM that endangers the emergency functioning of society, or risk being fined two million euros.

The union started the strike at UPM Pulp, UPM Biofuels, UPM Communication Papers, UPM Specialty Papers and UPM Raflatac units in Finland on 1 January and initially it was scheduled to be continued until 22 January.

On 5 January the union extended the strike until 5 February and on 20 January further extended the strike by two more weeks until 19 February.

On 4 February the ongoing strike has been extended by three more weeks until 12 March.

The strike, however, does not concern UPM Plywood and UPM Timber, both of which signed business specific collective agreements with the Industrial Union in December.