Nurses’ unions plan strike action over pay

Finland

The Tehy and SuPer trade unions representing nurses and other medical staff have set out plans for strike action to give impetus to the negotiations in health and social services. The two unions want to see positive action on salaries and have set out a five-year rescue programme for the health and social services sector. This includes increases to the basic wage level of 3.6% annually in addition to the normal contract increases that protect purchasing power. With women making up 90% of the care workforce, the unions argue that this is an essential measure to address the persistent gender pay gap in the country. Tehy and SuPer point out that the low-paid workers in health and social care have had to deal with intensified work and increase workloads and that this needs to be addressed through better pay and conditions or the sectors will continue to lose workers to other sectors.

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