Minister survives no-confidence motion over ´false´ claim

Employment Minister Arto Satonen on Thursday survived a no-confidence motion brought against him in the parliament by the main opposition party Suomen Sosialidemokraattinen Puolue (Social Democratic Party of Finland-SDP).

The minister of the four-party alliance right-wing government won the motion by 92-56 votes with 36 lawmakers remaining abstained.

SDP vice-chair Matias Mäkynen brought the motion accusing the minister of providing false information to the Parliament regarding strikes in Sweden as he claimed that the strikes in Sweden are limited to just one or two hours.

The minister, however, told the parliament that his statement was based on the information disclosed by the senior legal counsel of the Swedish National Mediation Office, Per Ewaldsson but Ewaldsson later made correction to his information that Sweden has no legal limit on strikes, excepting in the public sector.

The Kansallinen Kokoomus (National Coalition Party-NCP) led government proposed reforms in the labour market law limiting the right to strikes, which is being protested by the trade unions in the country.

Different trade unions were observing strikes protesting against the labour market reforms and cuts in working condition undertaken by the government.

The Central Organisation of Finnish Trade Unions (SAK) on Tuesday announced another spell of tougher strike protesting against the labour market reforms and cuts in working condition undertaken by the government.

The government on February 21 survived a no-confidence motion brought against it in the parliament by three opposition parties over the labour market unrest in the country.