Finland: 25.000 cleaners on strike for higher wages

Service Union United PAM’s board has rejected the national conciliator’s proposal to settle the labour dispute in the facility services sector.

A three-day long strike began in the sector on Thursday, March 16 at 00.00.

“We could not accept the proposal, because it does not raise the lowest wages enough. It would not have sufficiently improved the income of workers in the industry, which has been too poor for a long time now.  You have to get a salary you can live on, also in the facility services sector”, states Service Union United PAM’s president Annika Rönni-Sällinen.

The first strike announced by PAM will begin on Thursday, March 16 at 00.00 and end on March 18 at 24.00. Hundreds of sites and approximately 2,500 employees are affected by the strike.

The strike threatens to continue and extend during week 13

The second, expanded strike in the sector will be March 23-24 and affect approximately 25,000 employees, if no agreement on wages and employment conditions is reached before that.

On Wednesday, PAM decided on a third strike in the facility services sector, which will affect the largest companies in the industry. The strike will go on from March 30 until April 1, unless an agreement on wages and employment conditions is reached before that. Around 27,000 employees in 18 companies will be covered by the strike.

The strikes from 30 March to 1 April are on work that is covered by the facilities services sector collective agreement at these companies:

  • Akseli Kiinteistöpalvelut Oy
  • Coor service management Oy
  • Delete Finland Oy
  • Eskolanmäen kiinteistöpalvelut Oy
  • Hakunilan Huolto Oy
  • HH-Kiinteistöpalvelut Oy
  • ISS Palvelut Oy
  • Kajaanin huoltokeskus Oy
  • Kotikatu Oy
  • L&T Kiinteistöhuolto Oy
  • L&T Siivous Oy
  • L&T Teollisuuspalvelut Oy
  • N-Clean Oy
  • Rovanapa Oy
  • RTK-Palvelut Oy
  • Siskon siivous Oy
  • SOL Kiinteistöpalvelut Oy
  • SOL Palvelut Oy

The work stoppages are not aimed at emergency work or functions where a strike would pose a threat to life, health, property, or the environment. Employers must seek exemptions for emergency work from PAM 7 days before the strike.

The following sites or functions are not strike targets (no need to seek exemption):

  • Sites where animals are slaughtered.
  • Cleaning connected to surgical procedures in specialised healthcare.
  • Cleaning and maintenance of energy production sites.

More on strikes and strike sites >