PAM to extend industrial action in the facilities services sector
The Executive Committee of Service Union United PAM ended up taking tougher strike decisions in order to achieve a collective agreement settlement for the facilities services sector. The new strikes will last three days, starting at 06.00 on 12 March and ending at 06.00 on 15 March.
PAM’s Executive Committee decided to issue new strike warnings, continuing the previously announced decisions on industrial action, i.e. an overtime ban and a strike affecting over 1000 workers. With this new strike warning, PAM’s Executive Committee wants to speed up reaching a settlement, because according to PAM President Ann Selin the chances of achieving a new collective agreement remain poor.
“The situation still isn’t much different. Therefore we want to carry out the will of our members and aim for a settlement by stepping up our action and by announcing a new strike,” Selin says.
Today PAM gave notice to the National Conciliator of a limited work stoppage, i.e. a strike, starting at 06.00 on 12 March and ending at 06.00 on 15 March. The strike covers workplaces at many of the largest companies and all work at two companies.
The strike covers a total of around 2000 employees.
“The action includes several major industrial and production plants where our members work for companies in the facilities services sector. The new strike that has now been announced is larger in scope than the one announced previously,” Selin states.
The collective agreement negotiations in the facilities services sector broke off in early February. PAM issued a first strike warning on Wednesday 14 February.
The strikes are due to start at 06.00 on Thursday 1 March and end at 06.00 on Saturday 3 March.
Since the first strike was announced, a collective agreement settlement for the sector has been sought under the leadership of the National Conciliator. Selin stresses that the parties’ views are still far apart.
“As yet there hasn’t been enough progress in conciliation to create the trust allowing a settlement to be reached,” Selin states.
PAM regrets any inconvenience caused by the strikes at the sites being cleaned and managed.
“We hope that the people and companies caught up in this situation will understand. But there are major issues at stake in terms of our members’ lives, their incomes and future working conditions. Everyone in Finland is entitled to act and demonstrate to defend these,” Selin states.
The collective agreement for the facilities services sector affects the pay and working conditions of around 70,000 workers in the sector.
Employees in the sector include, among others, cleaners, building managers and janitors.
More details of the strike sites are available on the PAM's strike website
PAM’s Executive Committee will next meet to assess the negotiating situation on Thursday 8 March 2018.