Finnair, the Finnish flag carrier, had to cancel around 300 flights last week due to two one-day strikes organised by the union. While the union has yet to issue further strike warnings, it has continued to impose a ban on standby assignments, prohibiting pilots for standing in for their colleagues in the event of sickness.
The situation is causing flight cancellations on a daily basis, according to Finnair. SLL has floated the idea of lifting the ban for Christmas.
Palta on Tuesday stated to YLE that pilots are pursuing extremely costly pay rises.
“Even according to the calculations of SLL, the objectives’ cost impact over the one-and-a-half year term would be almost 20 per cent,” Heini Wiik-Blåfield, the director of bargaining at Palta, said to the public broadcasting company.
SLL, which is a member of the Central Organisation of Finnish Trade Unions (SAK), is demanding that pay be increased by more than 10 per cent over the next 18 months, a demand that far exceeds the 10-per-cent pay-rise target set for the two-year term by SAK. Palta has calculated that the demand, along with other changes pursued by the union, would increase employer costs by more than 20 per cent.
YLE on Tuesday wrote that union representatives were unavailable to confirm or comment on the pay-rise demands. Iltalehti, however, has similarly reported based on its own sources that pilots are seeking an almost 20-per-cent jump in remuneration over the next 18 months.
SLL has not specified its demands publicly but has argued that they are “justified” and “moderate” relative to the voluntary cost-saving measures implemented under previous collective bargaining agreements. “In the negotiations, we are seeking compensation for the substantial efficiency measures of previous terms,” summarised chairperson Vesa Uuspelto.
The sides also do not see eye to eye on the previous terms and conditions, however. While SLL is justifying its demands with earlier cost-savings, Palta is claiming that pilots’ pay rose significantly also under the previous agreement.
“We’re talking about a roughly 20-per-cent increase, which was caused by changes to the remuneration scheme and longer flight times to Asia,” Wiik-Blåfield said to YLE.
Finnair has refrained from commenting on pilot pay, except by saying new recruits can earn around 5,000 euros a month, including flight bonuses.
Aleksi Teivainen – HT
