A work stoppage announced by transport workers for next Thursday, 14 December, could see trains, trams and Helsinki's metro service grind to a halt all day — causing headaches for many commuters.
In a press statement, the Trade Union for Public and Welfare Sectors (Finnish acronym JHL) said it plans to join other unions in the day-long protest against the government's proposed labour reforms and social security cuts.
Service Sector Employers' group Palta said the announcement will cause disruptions across the rail network, including long-distance VR trains, VR's urban transport lines and the capital region's services.
JHL's statement also noted that the strike will effectively bring all train services to a standstill for 24 hours, from midnight on Wednesday until midnight on Thursday, as the walkout covers all JHL members working in rail transport.
The unions have given the government a deadline of Wednesday 13 December to respond to the announced walkouts, with the workers' groups calling on the government to roll back its planned labour market and social security reforms.
The unions say they are protesting in particular against planned cuts to housing benefits, a proposal to reduce the duration of political strikes to 24 hours, and plans to make the first day of sick leave unpaid.
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