Apr 20, 2011. /Lesprom Network/. The Finnish Forest Industries Federation (FFIF) and the trade union Pro continued their negotiations concerning the pay and terms of employment of salaried paper industry employees at the offices of the National Conciliator on the morning of Tuesday 19 April. “We are prepared to offer a pay solution that in amount and form matches the agreements made with the industry’s other personnel categories. A resolution to this situation must be found at the negotiation table and nowhere else. We hope that Pro is prepared to enter into genuine discussions on how to find a solution to a dispute, whose continuation is in no-one’s interest,” says Jari Forss, Deputy Director General of the FFIF. “It is important that an accord on pay is reached also on the part of salaried employees so that they, too, can receive their pay rises this spring along with other personnel groups. Striking just drags the situation on for no good reason,” Forss continues. Pro has launched a strike that affects salaried UPM employees and is to continue until 20 April. Pro has also declared a two-week strike that will affect Stora Enso and Metsäliitto employees from Wednesday 27 April onwards, in addition to which Pro has declared an overtime ban that has applied to salaried employees across the paper industry since 1 April. More than 3,000 people are included in the collective labour agreement of salaried paper industry employees.