Agreement reached in Finnish metal industry

FINLAND: Members of the Finnish Metalworkers' Union have accepted the results of collective bargaining negotiations between the union and the national employers' organisation FIMET. The new two-year agreement is based on the comprehensive incomes policy settlement and will be valid from February 1, 2003, to February 15, 2005. The contract provides for wage increases (in euros) of 25 cents per hour in 2003, but not less than 2.6 per cent, and in 2004 the increase will be 17 cents, but not less than 1.8 per cent. Additionally, in 2004, there will be a union-specific element amounting to 4 cents. The new agreement will also include several qualitative improvements, regarding employment of trainees, training and financial compensation for health and safety representatives, and the possibility for parents to take care of sick children. The Finnish Metalworkers' Union succeeded to negotiate agreements for eight sectors out of nine. Only the repair workshops for the mechanical forest industry are not included as this sector will follow the agreement for the mechanical forest industry.