Electricity workers go on strike from today

The Electrical Workers’ Union on Saturday rejected a proposed package of wages and working hours and warned to go on a week-long strike from Monday, said a press release issued by the Service Sector Employers’ Association (Palta).

According to the release, Palta and another electricity employers’ group, STTA, would have accepted the proposed settlement. But the rejection of the deal by the workers’ union will lead to a strike scheduled for April 9 to April 16.

According to Palta, if electricians and electrical installers go for the strike, it would affect about half of the power companies and result in a significant financial loss.

About 2,500 members of the workers’ union across 20 firms including Are, Aro Systems, Bravida Finland, Caverion, and Consti Group will join in the industrial action. The strike would halt work at many new building projects and renovations, which would inevitably delay completion schedules, reported the national broadcaster Yle.

The Finnish Electrical Workers’ Union also announced that it was planning expanded industrial action that would affect the members of STTA and Palta, said the Yle report, adding that the extended phase of the industrial action will begin on May 17.