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Friday, September 18, 2015

Anti-austerity strike in Finland Friday, Sept. 18, 2015

 
A widespread anti-austerity strike in Finland has shut down ports and disrupted flights in the country, news agencies have reported.

Protesters gather at the Central Railway Station in Helsinki, Finland, Friday, Sept. 18, 2015
 
 
People demonstrate against budget measures proposed by the Finnish government, at the Central Railway Station in Helsinki

Finnair, the national carrier, has cancelled 16 domestic flights and delays are expected.

Trains and city buses have stopped running, but ferries, including those to Sweden and Estonia, are operational.

Strikers are protesting against government cutbacks, including limits to benefits and overtime pay.

Talks on a collective agreement on wages and working hours collapsed, leading to the strike

Finnish Prime Minister Juha Sipilä has insisted that the measures—which include shortening annual holidays from 38 to 30 working days, halving overtime pay rate increases, cutting Sunday work bonuses, and reducing sick leave pay—are '' indispensable" to getting the economy back on track.

"The government intends, through coercive legislation, to weaken working conditions," Lauri Lyly, leader of biggest union, SAK, said

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