Wages disputes related to the Pact for Employment and Growth kept the National Conciliator busy at the beginning of the year

At the beginning of 2016, the National Conciliator has acted as a mediator in three wage disputes related to the wage increases of the Pact for Employment and Growth.

The disputes have concerned the collective agreement for storage terminal and port workers in the logistics sector (PALTA – Transport Workers’ Union AKT), Viking Line Abp’s collective agreement (PALTA – Transport Workers’ Union AKT), and the Finnish National Opera’s collective agreements (PALTA – Finnish Musicians' Union). In addition, two wage disputes related to the Pact for Employment and Growth have been in voluntary conciliation.

In June 2015, central labour market organisations made an agreement on the second phase of the Pact for Employment and Growth, according to which the agreed wage increase shall be EUR 16 per month or at a minimum 0.43 per cent. In accordance with the agreement, the sectoral collective bargaining partners agree on the targeting of the agreed increases in their respective collective and collective bargaining agreements. If the parties to a sectoral collective bargaining agreement have failed to reach mutual understanding on the targeting of the wage increases, they are entitled to take the dispute to the national conciliator for settlement.