Finland Times

The draft was earlier scheduled to be placed today (Tuesday), but the deadline will be failed this time, sources at the Ministry of Employment and Economic Development said.

The government has planned to reduce sick pay, increase working hours, remove Epiphany (or Three Kings’ Day) and Ascension Thursday from paid public holidays as well as cut annual leave and holiday pay.

But the preparation of the draft is still pending, said Ministry of Employment and Economic Development Director General Pekka Timonen.

He said the law must be cooperative and sufficient background materials are needed for the draft.

“The draft is not being sent today or tomorrow, but neither will it take many more weeks,” said Timonen.

“Drafting a law requires more than shorthand writing,” remarked Timonen.

Working conditions are not expected to get better any time soon in the draft of the so-called labour market tightening package.

The freedom of contract bargaining for the labour market organisations was originally supposed to be in effect until further notice. However, at the end of September, the law was changed to allow for a three-year temporary restriction on collective bargaining.

A fresh draft of the labour market tightening however says that due to “Finland’s high level of structural unemployment conditions, it is necessary at present to assume that working conditions are not, with very few exceptions, going to return to normal.”