The Central Organisation of Finnish Trade Unions (SAK) said on Monday that its member unions are prepared to take industrial action in order to achieve better pay for workers.
The three unions that make up SAK issued a joint statement on the current status of labour market negotiations. Those groups include the Industrial Union, service workers' union PAM, and transport sector union AKT.
SAK announced in December that member unions would cooperate more closely during the next round of negotiations as they aim to secure a five percent pay hike for workers.
If an agreement is not reached soon, the situation could quickly escalate into industrial action, according to Riku Aalto, chair of the Industrial Union.
Aalto told Yle that the aim of the joint action is to send a message to employers' groups.
"We want to send a message that we are coordinating both wage negotiations and union action among the workers' organisations," Aalto said.
Extensive negotiations between workers' and employers' unions about wage increases have been unsuccessful. The next negotiating session is scheduled for Tuesday.
"It is not yet time for union action when we are still at the negotiating table," Aalto noted.
AKT: Tools for beginning of February
If the salary negotiations continue to be deadlocked at the technology sector's negotiating table, the industrial union can issue an industrial action warning very quickly.
However, a warning must be issued two weeks before the start of any industrial action.
"If nothing else helps, these tools must be in the toolbox. And if it seems that way, then these things will start to be activated at the beginning of February," said AKT chair Ismo Kokko.
Annika Rönni-Sällinen, chair of the service industry union PAM, said that if salary negotiations continue to fail, service sector employees would also participate in joint actions.
Collectively, around 450,000 people belong to the Industrial Union, PAM and AKT.
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