FINLAND’S Industrial Union said today that it plans to organise more political strikes. 

The union, which represents 60,000 workers in automotive, engineering, chemicals and other industrial sectors, said it is planning three days of strikes from February 14 in protest against Prime Minister Petteri Oreo’s right-wing government.

The union said: “Attacks on unemployment security and job security, restrictions on the right to strike and other measures will harm employees’ everyday lives and rights.”

This follows strikes on February 1 & 2.

The union’s chairman Riku Aalto argued that more strikes were needed because the government is “still not showing any willingness to listen to workers.”

He said: “The Industrial Union will continue to tighten the screw through strikes. We do not accept the government demolishing the structures built to protect workers. The government’s measures have nothing to do with boosting employment. 

“This is purely an ideology that enterprises have dictated to the government parties,” Mr Aalto said in the release.

He said that the dismantling of collective bargaining will mean “workers will not be the only losers from this deal — it will also impact Finnish entrepreneurs who do not want to compete on poor working conditions. 

“Shady subcontractors and companies that employ lots of foreign workers will emerge victorious from this reform.”