On 1 November 2000, the Finnish Air Transport Union (IAU), representing airport workers, held a protest strike against the personnel policy of the Finnair airline and planned structural changes in the company. Finnair considered the strike illegal and has referred the matter to an arbitration tribunal. Negotiations aimed at resolving the dispute are under way between IAU and the Association of Support Service Industries.
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On 1 November 2000, the Finnish Air Transport Union (IAU), representing airport workers, held a protest strike against the personnel policy of the Finnair airline and planned structural changes in the company. Finnair considered the strike illegal and has referred the matter to an arbitration tribunal. Negotiations aimed at resolving the dispute are under way between IAU and the Association of Support Service Industries.
The Finnish Air Transport Union (Ilmailualan Unioni, IAU) called a protest strike of airport staff on 1 November 2000, opposing the personnel policy of Finnair, the national airline, and the company's planned structural changes. During the strike, in which all members of the local union branches participated, the employees concerned refrained from working between 12.00 and 06.00. Some 3,000 IAU members in technical and customer services were involved in the strike action, which stopped almost all domestic flights.
IAU justified the strike by saying that the structural changes being planned at Finnair would jeopardise employees' ability to carry out their work according to air safety regulations. Underlying this fear on the part of the personnel are the company's plans to outsource and cut jobs. The union has also presented its views on how to develop the company and involve workers representatives in decision-making. Further, the union opposes a decision to close a Finnair plant at Savonlinna, where some of the catering functions are located. This closure would mean job losses.
Finnair strongly denies the arguments that air safety would be threatened by its plans, saying that this will not be compromised under any circumstances. The company considers it regrettable that one trade union is allegedly attempting to use the issue of air safety to promote its own ends. Finnair saw the November strike as illegal, and the matter has been referred to the arbitration court for settlement. According to the company, the strike was illegal as it was aimed against the current valid collective agreement covering Finnair, which expires in February 2003. The union saw the action purely as a demonstration.
Efforts are being made to resolve the dispute through negotiations between IAU and the Association of Support Service Industries (Palvelualojen Toimialaliitto), representing Finnair. IAU has given the negotiations until 18 November, when its council will meet, and has announced its preparedness to resort to more severe action if its demands are rejected.
Eurofound doporučuje citovat tuto publikaci následujícím způsobem.
Eurofound (2000), Protest strike at Finnair, article.
