EIROnlineThe European Industrial Relations Observatory (EIRO) is a monitoring instrument offering news and analysis on European industrial relations. Its aim is to collect, analyse and disseminate high-quality and up-to-date information on key developments in industrial relations in Europe. It aims primarily to serve the needs of national and European level organisations of the social partners, governmental organisations and EU institutions.Heavy fines imposed on unions for illegal strikes in pulp and paper sector- February 19, 2007 The Finnish Labour Court recently imposed heavy fines on trade unions due to illegal industrial action taken in May 2006 in the pulp and paper sector. However, the Confederation of Finnish Industries considers that the fines are too lenient in comparison with the huge production losses encountered as a result of the industrial action. Despite the severity of the fines imposed, the overall number of strikes held in 2006 represented only a fraction of the level of industrial action reported in...http://www.eiro.eurofound.eu.int/2007/01/articles/fi0701019i.html Improvements in social security entitlements and tax cuts for employees- February 19, 2007 The initiatives of tripartite working groups in 2006 have resulted in the introduction of several legislative changes in Finnish employees social security and taxation levels. The majority of these changes are a direct result of the proposals of the tripartite working groups. Some of the changes were introduced in 2006, while the remaining changes came into effect on 1 January 2007. The changes include an increase in maternity allowance, better access to paternity leave for fathers,...http://www.eiro.eurofound.eu.int/2007/01/articles/fi0701029i.html Increase in cooperation and mergers among trade unions- February 12, 2007 Negotiations in relation to trade union mergers are becoming more widespread in Finland. A clear incentive for union mergers is the growing number of mergers among employer organisations, but also the increased disputes over union boundaries.http://www.eiro.eurofound.eu.int/2006/12/articles/fi0612029i.html |