Over the weekend disputes emerged during negotiations but were apparently resolved by the start of the new week. After the government vowed that the competitiveness agreement would be cost-neutral for local economies, local labour force leaders signed the agreement on Monday.
If the competitiveness pact signed Monday ends up costing municipalities more in employment and service spending, the government said it would be prepared to balance out discrepancies in the supplementary budget of 2017.
During negotiations the government also promised to annually monitor the effect that the competitiveness pact has on local economies and make adjustments to budget allocations as needed.
The president of the Trade Union for the Public and Welfare Sectors Päivi Niemi-Laine said that she is putting her trust into the promises made by the Minister of Local Government and Public Reforms Anu Vehviläinen - and the promises made by the government.