Finnish healthcare unions have issued a strike warning for the private social care sector which could affect over 70,000 workers providing assisted living and daycare services.
The proposed industrial action is the unions' response to a failure to reach agreement over a pay dispute last month.
If it goes ahead, the strike by assisted living carers would last for five days between 23 May and 27 May, affecting several providers, including Attendo, Esperi Care and Mehiläinen.
The walkout by daycare employees would last two days from 23 May until 24 May, impacting units run by Norlandia, Pilke Daycare and Touhula.
Unions urged the employers to ”start negotiating seriously”.
”Private sector pay rises should follow the public sector. This is an issue we're not willing to compromise on,” Päivi Niemi-Laine, who chairs the Trade Union for the Public and Welfare Sectors (JHL), said in a press release.
Tuomas Mänttäri, labour market leader at the employers' organisation the Finnish Association of Private Care Providers (HALI), said the strike warning was ”very concerning”.
”The people most affected are the customers; elderly needing care and children attending daycare,” said Mänttäri.
The strike warning was announced by the negotiating organisation Sote ry, which negotiates collective agreements on behalf of the Finnish Union of Practical Nurses (Super), the Union of Health and Social Care Professionals (Tehy) and the Union of Private Sector Professionals (Erto).
JHL, Talentia Union of Professional Social Workers and Jyty also issued strike warnings.
Earlier this week, the healthcare unions had called a two-week ban on overtime and shift swaps in the sector.
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