Finnish police on strike over pay dispute
Yle – the Finnish Broadcasting Company – reported that for the first time since 1976, police officers in Finland are on strike over the issue of pay rises, RIA Novosti reports
As previously reported, a two-day strike by police officers began in Western Uusimaa (a region in southern Finland). The strike is due to a dispute over a collective agreement between the unions and the employers. The unions have proposed a 7.8 percent pay rise over three years for civil servants, in line with the private sector. The authorities are prepared to agree to an increase of only 6.3 percent, arguing that an increase in civil servants’ salaries above this percentage would cost the ‘debt-ridden’ state too much.
According to Yle, the last time the police went on strike in Finland was in 1976. The labour action will affect all branches of the West Uusimaa police department and will also limit the operation of prisons in Vantaa and Hämeenlinna. Officers at police stations will not accept reports of crime or asylum applications, but this does not apply to emergencies where people’s lives and health are at risk.
