Trade union leaders have rejected suggestions that they might reopen negotiations on already-agreed pay rises in the service sector.
On Sunday the service sector employers' organisation Palta raised the prospect of re-negotiating pay rises.
The move followed a historic decision announced last week by the forestry industries employers' organisation, the Finnish Forest Industries Federation's (FFIF), to stop negotiating sector-wide agreements on pay and conditions.
Most workers in Finland get legally-mandated pay rises every year negotiated centrally by unions and employers' organisations. In return for pay rises across the board, workers are obliged to observe 'industrial peace' and cannot legally go on strike.
All Points North looked at wage talks in Finland's labour market. You can listen to the full podcast via the embedded player here or via Yle Areena, Spotify, Apple Podcasts or your usual podcast player using the RSS feed.
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That system of centralised pay bargaining is under increasing pressure as employers look to cut costs.
"We should be able to discuss already-agreed pay rises again in those sectors where, because of coronavirus, the extra expenses are too big," said Tuomas Aarto, Palta CEO.
He said that businesses should be able to cut costs to meet the challenge presented by the pandemic, and said 'crisis clauses' in the collective agreement could be activated.
Technology Finland, which represents industrial employers, had already suggested planned pay rises might be unaffordable.
However union bosses on Monday rejected the idea of broad renegotiation of planned pay bumps, saying that there was no basis for a sector-wide reopening of agreements.
"We have no need to go opening all the contracts," said Päivi Niemi-Laine of the JHL public and care services union.
Niemi-Laine said that crisis clauses, on the other hand, may well be activated on a local and limited basis.
"There's nothing new in that," said Laine. "We have locally agreed different contracts for different difficult situations, where we've taken care of the company's operations and finances."
The JHL boss said that she suspected the current discussion was really about a broader weakening of employees' pay, terms and conditions.
The Pam trade union, which represents workers in service industries, also reacted negatively to Aarto's suggestion.
"I'm really wondering about this outburst, especially when we have not had any kind of invitation to negotiations on the matter," said Pam boss Annika Rönni-Sällinen, who declined to comment on the idea itself until an official proposal was presented.
Trade union Pro boss Jorma Malinen said that Aarto's suggestion was overkill, as some sectors were even expanding during the pandemic. The current situation could lead to an increase in strikes, said Malinen.
"Of course the risk is growing in the forestry industry," said Malinen.