UPDATE 1-Finnish union warns of Stora Enso strike
June 2nd, 2008 | by admin |(Adds Stora, industry quote, detail)
HELSINKI, June 2 (Reuters) - A Finnish white-collar unionwarned on Monday of a possible strike against the world’s toppaper and pulp producer Stora Enso (STERV.HE: Quote, Profile, Research) that couldpotentially spread to other paper firms as well.
The strike would start at noon on Monday, June 16 if theunion and the employers’ organisation did not agree a wage dealbefore then, the union, Toimihenkilounioni, said in a statement.
The wage deal is for about 6,500 paper industry white-collarstaff and 1,000 of them would take part in the industrial actionin Finland, the union said.
Their current wage deal ran out at the end of last week.
“If the strike begins it would quickly spread to other paperand forestry companies as well,” the union said.
Stora Enso’s spokesman Jorma Westlund did not want tocomment on when or how the potential strike would impact thecompany’s production, but he said shipments to clients wouldcontinue.
Toimihenkilounioni said the strike would begin by shuttingdown Stora Enso’s plants.
“It looks as if Toimihenkilounioni has no understanding ofwhat kind of situation the forest industry is in,” said JariForss, a senior official at The Finnish Forest IndustriesFederation, in a statement issued after the strike warning.
