The Sähköliitto, which is a representative organization for workers within the electricity sector, has declared their intention to join the upcoming strike. This industrial action is scheduled to commence from next week Wednesday and will continue till Friday, which corresponds to the dates 14th to 16th of February.
The scope of the strike action is quite expansive as it also encompasses the Olkiluoto and Loviisa nuclear power plants and a number of hydropower plants. The union made this known through a press release it issued. The power plants involved in the strike collectively generate power of around 6,000 megawatts.
The schedule for the work stoppages has been clearly outlined. On Wednesday, work will cease at the Loviisa nuclear power plant. Thursday will see the stoppage at Olkiluoto, and by Friday, the hydropower plants will join the strike. The Electrical allies, who are workers involved in electricity production, will be the ones carrying out the strike. They are in charge of the production, service, and maintenance tasks at these power plants.
Historically, Sähköliitto has typically refrained from involving electricity production in labor disputes. However, this trend is being broken due to the union’s desire for the government to initiate negotiations on labor market reforms with the wage earners, as stated in their press release.
The chairman of the Swedish Electrical Union, Sauli Väntin, opined that the government has positioned itself as a labor market player due to its policies on working life. As such, it is expected to respond appropriately to the strike action.
Väntin assured that the industrial action is not targeted at the companies or the Finnish people, even though it will unavoidably result in some discomfort. He made this clarification in the press release issued by the union.
