According to police estimates, around 13 000 demonstrators gathered in Helsinki's Senate Square Thursday.
The demonstration was organised by the Central Organisation of Finnish Trade Unions (SAK) and the Finnish Confederation of Professionals (STTK) to protest against social security cuts and reforms by the government of Prime Minister Petteri Orpo (NCP).
Proposed reforms include limiting the duration of political strikes to a maximum of one day, making the first day of sick leave unpaid and transitioning to an export-led wage model, in which export industries determine the ceiling for wage increases.
Labor Minister Arto Satonen arrived in the afternoon to speak to the demonstration and stated that "accepting a job must always be made profitable in Finland."
Satonen welcomed SAK to the negotiating table on the export model.
Orpo: Finland is dangerously indebted
Prime Minister Petteri Orpo commented on the situation from Brussels.
"In my opinion, such large strikes, which cause great losses to the Finnish national economy in a difficult economic situation, are excessive and unreasonable."
According to Orpo, the government must move forward with labour market reforms because of Finland's economic situation.
"Finland is dangerously indebted. I hope that after these strikes, we will return to a means of negotiation that the government has defined. And let's take these things forward together."
An exceptional day
Emeritus Professor of Sociology at Tampere University, Harri Mellin, doesn't believe the political action will end with the strikes.
"The atmosphere at Senate Square was so determined that the people will not agree to the government's plans very easily."
According to Mellin, this strike was exceptional.
"The last time there was a strike of this size was when the Sipilä government pushed for somewhat similar changes to the labor market system," he recalls.
The strikes will continue through Friday when public transport joins and the majority of transport in the Helsinki region will come to a standstill. Long-distance trains will also be affected.
An estimated two to three hundred thousand people will strike overall.
