UPM and the Paperworkers’ Union (Paperiliitto) have not been able to come to new collective labour agreements. The Board of Directors of the Paperworkers’ Union has decided to reject the four settlement proposals received for UPM's business operations. The Paperworkers’ Union stated that it could not accept the settlement proposals because their coverage was insufficient. The settlement proposals for Pulp, Specialty Papers, Raflatac and Biofuels cover only half of UPM's paper allies. On the other hand, there would have been no agreement. The decision to reject was unanimous, as the Paperworkers’ Union (Paperiliitto) reported.
The exceptionally long strike at UPM Pulp, UPM Communication Papers, UPM Specialty Papers, UPM Raflatac and UPM Biofuels units in Finland continues.
“We are deeply disappointed in the decision of the union and in the continuation of the strike that has already lasted 3,5 months. UPM has been negotiating with an earnest mind and made several compromises. We also accepted the conciliation proposals. Modernising the agreement stemming from 1940’s would be important both for the employees and the company,” says Jyrki Hollmén, Vice President, Labour Markets at UPM.
“It is very disappointing that after intensive negotiations, no business was able to reach a conclusion. Petri Vanhala, chairman of the Paperworkers’ Union, confirmed in the mediation of all businesses that each business can be agreed separately. The mediation found settlement proposals for four businesses that took the needs and wishes of both parties into account. We were confident that both parties undertook to accept these settlement proposals and industrial peace would resume. Now that the union has turned down the once drafted proposals, our businesses will make a fresh start," Hollmén continues.
The Paperworkers’ Union (Paperiliitto) board has announced that the strike started on 1 January will continue until 14 May, unless agreements are reached before that. Currently, approximately 2 000 members of the union are on strike. Approximately 200 union members are working in tasks critical to society, such as heat generation and water management, in line with a court order of 21 January 2022.
UPM’s mechanical forest industry businesses UPM Plywood and UPM Timber each signed a 3-year collective agreement with the Industrial Union already in December 2021.
UPM leads the forest-based bioindustry into a sustainable, innovation-driven, and exciting future across six business areas: UPM Fibres, UPM Energy, UPM Raflatac, UPM Specialty Papers, UPM Communication Papers and UPM Plywood.
