Finland Times

 

File picture of Itella headquarters in Helsinki. Photo – Lehtikuva.

A failure by the authorities concerned and the collective bargaining agents of the postal department of reaching an understanding about the wage agreement for the employees till Monday, has resulted in an expansion of the ongoing strike enforced by the Post and Logistics Union (PAU) in new areas.

 

The employees observed strike at Naantali area on Monday and decided to enforce strike at Tampere region on Tuesday, union sources said.

 

The union leaders also warned of intensifying the strike across the country from December 9, if the wage settlement dispute was not resolved by this time.

 

If the strike continues, the mail delivery, particularly exchange of the Christmas greeting cards and gifts would be hampered seriously, feared the postal authority.

 

The strike in Tampere region is scheduled to begin at 10pm and will continue until 3pm on Wednesday.

 

File picture of Christmas Mail sorting. Photo – Lehtikuva.

Postal authority and union leaders said the negotiation meeting will be continued in presence of a government arbitrator on Tuesday.

 

The postal delivery personnel went on strike in Oulu and Lapland on Friday, causing a delay in distribution of postal documents and goods for two to three days in the northern parts of the country, Itella, the state-run Finnish postal service said.

 

The union leaders on November 22 feared that it might take time to settle the dispute.

 

“It seems that it will take time to reach an understanding,” the PAU Chairman Esa Vilkuna said.  

 

The postal services are also being hampered at different parts of the country.