Solidarity statement in support of UPM workers and their union PRO

As the attacks on UPM Finland workers’ collective bargaining rights continue, unions have published a statement that supports the strike and calls on UPM Finland to do the right thing, respect its workers’ human rights and return to the negotiating table.

UPM’s onslaught on collective bargaining rights in Finland is not new.  Workers have been on strike since 1 January 2022 to prevent the Finnish forest industry employers’ organisation from unilaterally withdrawing their collective bargaining rights. Already in October 2020 the company had announced that it would no longer negotiate at a sector level. Then on 8 February 2021 it ramped up its attacks by announcing that it would also move to end collective bargaining for white collars at company level.

UPM’s moves to undermine social standards cannot be ignored. A strong coalition of Workers representatives in the Tissue sector from unions across Europe including 3F (Denmark), ACV-BIE (Belgium), FSC-CCOO (Spain), CGSLB (Belgium), FCS-CFDT (France), FISTEL-CISL (Italy), GPA (Austria), IG BCE (Germany), KRZZP (Poland), PRO-GE (Austria), SLC-CGIL (Italy), UNIONEN (Sweden) and UNITE (UK) have joined forces with Industrial Europe and UNI Europa Graphical and Packaging in calling on UPM to desist and return to the negotiations.

“Social dialogue and collective bargaining are central elements on which we have built European society and we cannot tolerate that a company like UPM decides, unilaterally and for ideological reasons, to abandon practices that have brought welfare and cohesion to our societies for decades”, writes the coalition.

To read the full statement click here.