The global community of media and entertainment unions affiliated with UNI expresses its full solidarity with Finnish film and TV production workers who will strike this Saturday, 8 March 2025, for fair wages and better working conditions. Led by UNI’s member union, TEME, the union for theatre and media workers, the strike comes after failed negotiations with the employer’s association PALTA over fair pay and a sustainable work-life balance in the industry.
During weeks of negotiations and arbitration, PALTA refused to apply the general wage increase standard set in Finland to film and TV production workers. TEME members, including many freelancers in a precarious labour market, are fighting for better pay and against long working hours, poor management and unsustainable workloads that negatively impact their well-being.
“It is historic that the employers’ association PALTA does not accept the general wage increases. The employers’ side has demanded coordinated solutions, and now they want to leave one creative sector out of the general wage development in the country. We understand the difficulties of the sector, but even in creative sectors we cannot act at the expense of the workers’ well-being,” said Karoliina Huovila, TEME’s Executive Director.
Improving conditions and well-being at work was a key goal for TEME in the negotiations. According to a study by the Finnish Institute of Occupational Health, workers in the sector are feeling unwell and stressed. Working as a freelancer in the industry demands long working hours, and part-time work can be particularly challenging if proper measures are not taken to support workers’ well-being, rest and recovery. In this round of negotiations, TEME focused on ensuring that workloads and advance planning received special attention, aiming to make working hours more predictable and better aligned with a sustainable work-life balance.
The ban on overtime that TEME has been imposing on productions since the end of February will remain in force after the strike of 8 March. Under the ban, workers on all production under the collective agreement cannot work more than eight hours per day or 40 hours per week on average over a period of three weeks.
UNI Global Union’s Media, Entertainment and Arts sector (UNI MEI) has issued a statement of support, reinforcing the joint campaign of media and entertainment unions worldwide for dignity, respect and fair working conditions.
Matthew D. Loeb, UNI MEI President and International President of IATSE, United States said: “The challenges faced by Finnish film and TV workers are not unique to Finland. Across the world, media and entertainment workers are standing up against unfair wages, excessive working hours and unsustainable conditions. Our industry thrives on the talent and dedication of its workforce, and we will not allow their rights and well-being to be undermined. UNI’s global community of media and entertainment unions stands firmly with TEME in this critical moment.”
Fair wages and a better work-life balance are global issues that all UNI Global Union member unions have been campaigning for in negotiations across countries in mutual effort to address the structural decent work deficits in the media and entertainment global industry. As member unions continue to advocate for fair pay and decent working conditions rights, the solidarity and union-to-union cooperation through UNI Global Union aims at establishing minimum standards for fair, safe, inclusive and sustainable industry.
UNI calls on PALTA to return to the negotiating table and reach a fair settlement that respects the contributions and well-being of Finland’s film and TV production workers.