Wood workers’ union interprets UPM’s announcement
of mass redundancies as industrial action

Helsinki (05.11.2009 / updated 08.11.2009 – Juhani Artto) Wood and Allied Workers’ Union reaction to UPM's plan to close several productive facilities in the mechanical forest industry was one of incredulity and total incomprehension. There are already signs of recovery, Sakari Lepola, the President of the union says.

He refers to estimates coming from Finnvera, a government owned financing company, and of the Finnish Forest Research Institute Metla. Also UPM itself has hinted, in its quarterly report, to recovery, Lepola says.

The union is highly critical of the timing of UPM’s closure announcement coming as it does just when the social partners representing the industry are in the midst of collective bargaining.

According to Lepola, the union interprets UPM’s announcement of mass redundancies as tantamount to industrial action. He is at pains to point out that the industrial peace obligation is still in force and therefore the social partners involved should refrain from taking any form of industrial actions.

“The closure plan will not make it easier to reach a common understanding in the negotiations.”