Planned political strikes by trade unions will halt nearly all public transportation services in Finland on Friday, with an estimated 10-15 percent of buses running in the Helsinki region, according to the Helsinki Regional Transport Authority HSL
A number of unions plan to strike to voice their opposition to labour market reforms planned by Prime Minister Petteri Orpo's (NCP) government.
Passenger train traffic, with the exception of overnight trains to Finnish Lapland, will also come to a standstill due to the public and welfare sector union JHL joining in the industrial action. That strike will also impact metro, tram and local train services in the capital area.
"People cannot rely on public transport on a day like this. We can only apologise, because there won't be any public transport," said Johannes Laitila, HSL's communications chief said about the bus situation.
On Monday, Laitila estimated that only 10 to 15 percent of HSL's bus routes would be running on Friday.
People who have bought seasonal or monthly HSL tickets can apply for compensation for the lack of service on Friday, according to Laitila.
Around 800 people applied for compensation during another strike that virtually stopped public transportation in the capital region last month. The compensation for a two-zone ticket valid that day amounted to around two euros.
HSL is providing updated information about the effects of the planned strike on its services here.
Users with an Yle ID can leave comments on our news stories. You can create your Yle ID via this link. Our guidelines on commenting and moderation are explained here.
