Strike begins at private social service sector

Several trade unions in the private social service sector started strike on Tuesday to press home various demands including pay hike, unions sources said.

The unions including The Finnish Union of Practical Nurses, SuPer, Finnish union for qualified health, social care, early childhood education and rehabilitation- They, Trade Union for the Public and Welfare Sectors-JHL, The Federation of Public and Private Sector Employees-JYTY, Federation of Special Service and Clerical Employees- ERTO and Union of Professional Social Workers- Talentia also warned of a series of strikes if their demands are not fulfilled by this time.

The first strike concerning assisted living started at 12.01 am on Tuesday and will end at 11.59 pm on May 27.

The first early childhood education and care strike started at 12.01 am on Tuesday and will end at 11.59 pm on Wednesday. The child protection strike will start on May 31 May at 12.01 am and will end on 3 June at 11.59 pm.

The second early childhood education and care strike will start on May 31 May at 12.01 am and will end on 2 June at 11.59 pm.

The strikes apply to service units in Uusimaa and Southwest Finland.

“The private sector’s pay raises must comply with the public sector’s pay raise level. This is what we demand. The sector’s worsening shortage of employees is already threatening its ability to attract new employees and hold on to the old ones,” JHL President Päivi Niemi-Laine said in a press release.

In Finland, there are thousands of workplaces that produce services within the sector. The sector’s professionals work in private day care centres, assisted living and nursing homes, housing services for people with disabilities, mother-and-child homes, shelters, substance abuse centres, child protection, and as personal assistants.

Over 70,000 employees work in the sector.