As the postal workers' dispute drags on with little sign of a resolution, newspapers have been looking ahead to Christmas. How are people going to get their cards and packages delivered on time?
Aamulehti is mainly pre-occupied with the strike's spread into Tampere, as from Thursday deliveries will be cancelled in Finland's second city. Strikes also began in Jyväskylä, Seinäjoki and Kuopio. The paper is quick to reassure readers, however, that AL will still be delivered--that task is handled by the paper's own company.
Helsingin Sanomat, meanwhile, has been dealing with the strike for some days now and is already considering what to do about Christmas. In a Q&A designed to answer fears about the strike's effect on daily life, the paper reports that many packages are still being delivered, and that so long as there are no more strikes packages ordered online will arrive in time for Christmas.
Bills don't have to be paid if they weren't received, according to HS--so there is some relief for those worried about making their payments during the strike.
End of an era
The Confederation of Finnish Industries, EK, changed its rules on Wednesday in order to prevent it from negotiating economy-wide pay agreements with unions. These have in the past covered some 93 percent of the workforce, mandating a central line for pay increases that set the parameters for sector-based agreements, usually valid for a period of two years.
HS points out that there have been twenty of these 'incomes policy' agreements since the first in 1968, and rightly calls EK's move a 'historic decision'. There will apparently be no more late nights in hotels where the media waits for some scraps of news about talks that affect virtually everyone in the country.
EK had previously announced in 2007 that it would no longer negotiate these agreements, but since then did manage another two. That's certain to end now the organisation's rules have been modified, and the trades unions are not happy. Lauri Lyly of the blue-collar SAK federation told HS that EK wants to move negotiations to workplaces, where management is stronger.
EK boss Matti Alahuhta described the move as a tidying up exercise, putting Finland on the same footing as Sweden--which made the same change 20 years ago. Sture Fjäder of the Akava trade union confederation for highly educated workers said that there could be upsides too, particularly for those with higher-level degrees.
Bikini fitness star in the spotlight
Hesari's sport section carries a feature on a lower-profile world champion resident in Helsinki. Sofia Ruusila-Nousiainen is the best in the world at bikini fitness, a branch of the bodybuilding world that emphasises muscle definition rather than size.
Ruusila-Nousiainen tells HS she is targeting a breakthrough next year, when she hopes to acquire international sponsors and open doors in the US. At present she works as a model as well as competing in bikini fitness events, but she wants to retire by the age of 30 and take up coaching instead.
Right now she's on holiday, and only training lightly--and enjoying the chance to eat pizza and sweets.