Incomes policy talks restarted

Negotiations for a comprehensive incomes policy settlement are to resume in Finland following their interruption due to a strike by bus drivers. On Sunday 21 November the Finnish Transport Workers' Union &#;8211 AKT approved a proposal from the employers' federation to resolve the outstanding dispute affecting bus services. This means an end to the strike and to all sympathetic industrial action in the transport sector.

According to AKT, the deal that has now been approved will prevent any increase in the use of part-time employees in the sector. The strike began when two transport enterprises in the Helsinki Metropolitan Area considerably increased the number of part-timers on their staff this year.

The Confederation of Finnish Industries (EK), which represents employers in Finland, suspended the comprehensive incomes policy talks last Wednesday because of the strike. As the tense situation has now been defused, these negotiations may begin again on Monday. At its meeting on Sunday 21 November the management board of SAK expressed its hopes that a final incomes policy settlement could be reached between the country's main labour market confederations by Monday 29 November.

The board will meet again on Wednesday 24 November to discuss the progress made in the talks. The Wednesday meeting is also prepared to discuss the organisation's objectives for wages and salaries, provided that adequate progress has been made by this time on the principal qualitative issues of the current bargaining round: on employee security during enterprise downsizing, on the liability of parties that subscribe to labour without becoming employers, on independent locus standi authorising trade unions to bring legal action against aberrant employers, and on the status of shop stewards - see report of 3 November 2004.

More information about the incomes policy negotiations in Finnish: www.sak.fi/tupo.