The price of reluctance to reach an agreement: a strike warning for the state sector

The Office for the Government as Employer (VTML) halted the state sector collective agreement negotiations on 7 March and has since then shown no willingness to resume them. Before employer party stopped negotiations, the pay rises that it had offered were were clearly below the general level.

The state sector employees have issued their strike warning because they want to get back to the negotiation table and seek pay rises that follow the general level.

– State sector employees work in duties that are necessary for the functioning of society and for its security. The amount of responsibility and the influence on the citizens’ daily lives need to be considered also when the terms and conditions of employment are developed and when pay rises are agreed. The employer’s withdrawal from the negotiations has been quite inconceivable and irresponsible in the situation we have in the world today. The state sector professionals deserve in every way more appreciation from their employer than what they experience now, stresses the President of JHL Håkan Ekström.

– The state sector employees deserve proper pay rises, and at the same time we keep our expectations realistic. The same general level that has been widely established in the agreements of other sectors is good for us. That is not too much to ask, says the President of Trade Union Pro Niko Simola.

– Even when the economic situation is difficult, the professionals of security and all state employees deserve pay rises that are as big as in other sectors. We want to develop the agreement, and we do not accept the employer’s unilateral decision to halt the negotiations. This situation is unreasonable for the employees, and therefore we defend our right to negotiate on the agreement independently, says the President of JUKO's state sector negotiating committee Jonne Rinne.

– Despite the different views of the employees and the government as employer, we have always sought a mutual solution. We are disappointed because the employer now does not want to negotiate on pay rises at all. We are forced to expand industrial action to strikes, points out JUKO’s Head of Collective Bargaining Minna Salminen.

The state sector strike starts on 15 April 2025 at 00.01 am and ends on 16 April 2025 at 11.59 pm. The strike applies to all work shifts that start during this time interval in the listed locations.

Work tasks that must be performed in order to protect people's life or health or to prevent significant danger to property are excluded from the strike. Also work tasks that are connected to the county and municipal elections are ruled out of the strike.

The employee organisations have already earlier announced bans on overtime and shift swaps and a ban to accrue flex hours for all state-sector employees who are in a contractual employment relationship. These bans have been effective since 19 March.

If the Office for the Government as Employer is unwilling to negotiate, the employee organisations are prepared to expand their industrial action. The state sector collective agreement (collective agreement for government) covers 76,000 civil servants and employees under contract.

Locations and work that are subject to the strike:  

  Police administration 

• Work at the Western Uusimaa Police Department and all its units

 Prison and Probation Service of Finland

• Work at the following prisons, excluding prisoners’ health care:
• Hämeenlinna prison 
• Vantaa prison 

  State Treasury 

• All work duties 

 The Finnish Government Shared Services Centre for Finance and HR (Palkeet) 

• Work at the Hämeenlinna office 

Government ICT Centre Valtori 

• Work at all locations in the city of Helsinki, excluding tasks that are connected to the county and municipal elections

More information and requests for comments

JHL
President Håkan Ekström, 040 828 2865

JUKO
Head of Collective Bargaining Minna Salminen, 050 445 5350

President of JUKO's state sector negotiating committee and the Finnish Police Union SPJL Jonne Rinne, 050 399 8795

Pro
President Niko Simola, 040 566 8517