Passengers at Helsinki Airport in Vantaa on 2 December 2024. Palta: IAU fined for December walkout at Helsinki Airport. Photo:
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The Finnish Labour Court has fined the Aviation Union (IAU) and three of its local branches €67,000 for organising an illegal walkout at Helsinki Airport in December 2024.
The ruling, delivered on 19 September, marks the first time a court has applied higher strike penalties introduced by the government earlier this year.
The IAU staged the walkout in response to Finnair’s decision to consider dismissing two shop stewards.
The airline claimed the stewards had shared confidential information, while the union said the documents in question related to an ongoing dispute over employment terms.
The December action brought air traffic at Helsinki Airport to a near standstill. The airport is Finland’s main hub for international and domestic flights. According to the Service Sector Employers’ group Palta, which filed the case, the disruption caused significant operational and economic harm.
“This was an illegal stoppage, and the court has now confirmed that,” Palta said in a statement. “The fine is lower than the damage caused, but the ruling sends a clear signal.”
The Labour Court’s decision was not unanimous. Some members supported a significantly smaller penalty, but the majority upheld the €67,000 fine. Previously, the maximum penalty for illegal strikes was €37,400. Under the new legislation, the cap has been raised to €150,000.
The reform is part of a broader labour policy programme pushed by the Orpo government. It also limits political strikes to a maximum of 24 hours.
Håkan Ekström, chair of the Public and Welfare Sectors Union (JHL), criticised the court’s decision and the legal changes behind it.
“The real goal of the new law is to prevent industrial action,” Ekström said in a statement. “The government is using fines to bring workers and unions into line. We won’t surrender. We will continue defending the rights of our members by all necessary means.”
JHL and IAU are both affiliated with the Central Organisation of Finnish Trade Unions (SAK). The two unions have previously coordinated strike actions.
The IAU continued a series of legal strikes during spring and early summer after the sector’s collective agreement expired. A settlement between the union and Palta was reached in July 2025.
Finnair has not commented publicly on the court ruling. The company has said earlier that the issue involving the shop stewards was part of a disciplinary process concerning the handling of sensitive internal material.
Union officials argue that the dismissals would have undermined the role of employee representatives in protecting labour conditions.
“Shop stewards must be able to act when there is a suspicion that working conditions are not being respected,” Ekström said. “This is essential for workplace fairness. We won’t leave our members to face this alone.”
The IAU has not announced whether it intends to appeal the Labour Court’s ruling. The union said its action in December was taken in defence of workplace rights and against what it saw as retaliation by the employer.
HT
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Source: www.helsinkitimes.fi
