Passengers at Helsinki-Vantaa Airport. Photo: Roni Rekomaa / Lehtikuva
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Finnair will cancel around 110 flights on Friday 30 May as aviation ground staff carry out a planned four-hour work stoppage in a dispute over wages.
The cancellation affects approximately 8,000 passengers. Finnair said it is contacting all affected customers directly via email or SMS.
The Finnish Aviation Union (IAU) confirmed on Wednesday that the action will go ahead after failing to reach an agreement with employers’ association Palta in collective bargaining talks.
The strike will take place from Friday morning and will be repeated on Monday 2 June and Wednesday 4 June. A further strike warning has also been issued for Wednesday 11 June.
Negotiations between the two sides have remained deadlocked since late January, resulting in the cancellation of hundreds of flights in recent months.
The main point of contention is salary increases. The IAU has rejected a proposal put forward by the national mediator this week. The union argues that wage developments in the aviation sector have lagged behind other industries due to missed raises in 2021 and 2022.
According to the IAU, the average earnings of Finnair Group employees rose by 6.4 percent between 2020 and 2023. However, during that same period, the national average increase across all sectors was 10.4 percent. The union said earlier wage restraint agreed during the Covid-19 pandemic and following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine must now be addressed.
The IAU represents personnel responsible for passenger, ground handling, and cargo services. It says the strike aims to improve wage levels to better reflect industry standards and the cost of living.
Palta, which represents employers, said most employee groups were ready to accept the mediator’s proposed increases. It claimed the IAU is demanding further adjustments beyond what other groups had accepted.
Finnair said it is still evaluating the impact of the upcoming actions on its schedule and may announce additional cancellations.
HT
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Source: www.helsinkitimes.fi
