Week-long strike begins at 3 major breweries

The Finnish Food Workers´ Union (SEL) started a weeklong strike at three major breweries on Sunday morning demanding a new collective agreement.

The strike started at Hartwall, Olvi and Sinebrychoff at 9:00 a.m. and will continue till 9:00 p.m. of March 28 as the negotiation talks ended on Saturday without any fruitful result, said SEL and the National conciliator.

“The mediation of the food industry labor dispute between the SEL and ETL (Finnish Food and Drink Industries’ Federation) continued today (Saturday). No solution has been reached yet. The work stoppage concerning breweries and soft drink factories from 23-28 March will take place,” National conciliator Janne Metsämäki wrote in a post on social media platform X on Saturday.

The strike will involve nearly 1,000 employees of the three companies in Helsinki, Iisalmi and Kerava.

SEL aims with the strike is to accelerate the establishment of collective agreements.

A strike is a legal industrial action that cannot result in sanctions for the employee, said SEL in a press release, adding that the strike concerns all employees and if they do not participate, they are giving their support to the cuts and weakening proposed by employers.

Meanwhile, the SEL strike also decided to observe strike at 13 food industries from March 25 to 27 involving 4,000 employees.