On Monday Prime Minister Petteri Orpo (NCP) announced he was inviting trade union representatives to negotiate the government's preferred model of wage bargaining.
That model would effectively mean no workers in Finland could be granted higher cost-of-living wages than those won by employees in the big exporting industries.
It's a response to the last pay negotiations, which saw unions representing historically underpaid workers in female-dominated municipal sectors, like daycare, win a deal that sees their pay rise by whatever the exporting industries agree plus an additional one percent.
The government instead wants to ensure the exporting industries — largely industrial workers — would set a ceiling for future raises, rather than a floor.
The unions have opposed this move, along with a raft of other changes the government wants enshrined in law including reduced sick pay entitlement and restrictions on political strikes.
Indeed, political strikes have been one of the main tools unions have used in fighting these changes.
Now Helsingin Sanomat's analysis suggests that the blue-collar SAK union confederation views Orpo's invitation to talks as a trap.
They say that Orpo is not asking to discuss the other reforms, which would weaken workers' rights and unions powers, only the model for pay bargaining. That is an incomplete negotiation, and SAK has been reluctant to enter into talks on those terms.
HS suggests this could be a trap, however. If unions decline to discuss the matter at all, he can once again criticise them for failing to negotiate and rushing to strike instead — and that might impact public support for the strikes, which has been strong.
Purra cuts picture
A social media storm is covered in Iltalehti, focusing on a picture of Finance Minister Riikka Purra (Finns) posing with a pair of scissors and a group of her Finns Party colleagues.
Purra has also posted pictures of chopping boards bearing her image, as she looks to craft an image as a budget disciplinarian.
The government has already agreed six billion euros in cuts, and this spring is expected to seek another three billion in savings. But the communications are not to everyone's taste.
Opposition Centre Party leader Annika Saarikko said that making these policies into a "carnival" was a deliberate choice.
She said that she agreed with the need for budgetary prudence, but "it's a different matter, whether or not you enjoy it."
Cold weather continues
Ilta-Sanomat has a piece on the coming days' weather forecast, which shows colder conditions thanks to the polar vortex.
This week will remain slightly warmer than usual for the time of year, but in the following weeks things will get colder once again.
That means spring may not come early — indeed, it might be a little later than usual.
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