The strike has paralysed virtually all internal bus routes in Espoo and Vantaa and half of regional bus routes to and from Helsinki. It's also expanded to 10 other cities as well as to the cargo port in the capital city.
The strike is expected to affect food deliveries to grocery stores next week, and forestry, paper, and chemical industries could be seriously affected within a few days.
The Labour Court has slapped the Finnish Transport Workers' Union AKT with four hefty fines for what it has ruled is an illegal industrial action.
The strike began Tuesday last week in Espoo and Vantaa. Drivers are angry over an increase in part-time contracts, which they say is an attempt by employers to save money at the expense of the work force.
Employers deny this, saying that the part-time contracts are strictly voluntary, for people who want to spend more time taking care of a family or going to school, for example.
Government Cautious of Involvement For the moment, the government is staying out of the squabble. Prime Minister Matti Vanhanen said Thursday that it won't step in unless both sides request the state's help to end the standoff. Earlier in the day, Minister of Finance Antti Kalliomäki had declared that the Government has no intention of interfering in the strike, saying that doing so might make the situation worse. Strike Halts Pay Deal Talks As a result of the dispute, the Confederation of Finnish Industries, EK, has pulled out of talks with union federations for a comprehensive deal on pay and conditions.
Speaking on YLE Morning TV, both EK Chairman Leif Fagernäs and blue collar union federation, SAK, Chief Lauri Ihalainen remained confident that talks could resume later.
The Chairman of the Metal Workers' Union, Erkki Vuorenmaa, called on AKT members to end their strike. He said it was essential to end the deadlock in comprehensive pay talks resulting from the dispute.