Ihalainen added that employers now are tempted to take advantage of the present situation and propose broader restrictions on the right to strike, and the introduction of so-called mandatory arbitration.
In Ihalainen's view, labour unions should agree amongst themselves on the rules governing vital work to be done during a labour conflict. He suggested that this would undermine efforts by employers to persuade political decision makers to enact legislation to their liking affecting the right to strike.
Meanwhile, Tuire Santamäki-Vuori, chair of the SAK Council sharply criticised the Union of Health and Social Care Professionals (Tehy) for not agreeing on limits to a possible strike. Opening the meeting of the council on Friday morning, Santamäki-Vuori said that flouting the common rules agreed upon by labour market organisations could lead to coerced arbitration in labour disputes. A threatened mass resignation by Finnish nurses was averted when municipal employers agreed to considerable pay rises for Tehy-affiliated nurses on Sunday.
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