Possible municipal sector strike postponed, Helsinki prepares for effects

A possible strike of municipal sector employees has been postponed to a later date, after a 14 April decision by Finland’s Ministry of Employment and the Economy
Tyhjä koululuokka.

A possible strike of municipal sector employees has been postponed to a later date, after a 14 April decision by Finland’s Ministry of Employment and the Economy to move the industrial action back two weeks. If the strike goes ahead, it will now take place 3-9 May 2022. The strike involves the labour organisations of JUKO, JHL and Jyty, which filed a strike warning on 21 March that would affect the cities in the Helsinki Metropolitan Area. The strike warning applies to all the organisations’ members, and thus also to the City of Helsinki and its operations.

If the strike takes place, it will have a significant impact on services provided by the City of Helsinki. The strike would affect education, culture and leisure services in particular, but also social services and health care.

During the strike, basic education would be suspended altogether. Many of the daycare centres in Helsinki would also be closed during this time.

Emergency services and urgent care provided by primary health stations and oral health care locations are excluded from the strike, so these services would continue to function normally.

Services provided by the city’s Culture and Leisure Division would mostly be closed. Therefore, libraries (excluding the self-service libraries in the districts of Herttoniemi, Laajasalo and Viikki), cultural centres (Annantalo, Caisa, Malmitalo, Maunula House, Kanneltalo, Savoy Theatre, Stoa, Vuosaari House), and museums (Helsinki Art Museum HAM, Helsinki City Museum, Villa Hakasalmi, Worker Housing Museum and Tram Museum), as well as youth centres and indoor sports facilities would as a rule be closed. The Culture and Leisure Division will inform the public if it is possible to keep one or more of its service locations open during the strike.

Our website will be updated continuously with information about the impact of the possible strike on City of Helsinki services.