Finland’s largest airline Finnair has cancelled around 70 flights tomorrow due to industrial action by trade unions at Helsinki airport.
It is estimated that these cancellations will affect around 6,500 Finnair passengers. The airline said in a travel update it will offer an alternative flight for affected customers.
Three sections of the Finnish Aviation Union (IAU) and the Finnish Transport Workers’ Union (AKT) plan to strike on 27 March for two hours between 2pm and 4pm local time.
Cancelled departures from Helsinki airport to the UK include the 7.50am, 2pm and 4pm flights to London Heathrow, the 4.10pm to Manchester and the 4.55pm to Edinburgh. Cancelled arrivals into Helsinki from the UK include the 3.15pm from London Heathrow.
“The effects of this industrial actions on our customers are unreasonable – approximately 6,500 customers will have to change their travel plans when flights must be cancelled. We will do our very best to offer a suitable new routing to everyone,” said Jaakko Schildt, chief operating officer at Finnair.
The demonstration will impact Helsinki Airport’s operations including check-ins, baggage handling, and other ground services.
Customers are able to cancel their reservation and apply for a refund for the unused ticket.
The airline will rebook customers on a new flight if a connecting flight on the same ticket is missed.
For connecting flights from Helsinki, passengers can check the real-time status onboard.
The airline recommends packing the most essential items, like medicines, in carry-on baggage.
Schildt added: “We are very sorry for the concern and the changes to our customers’ travel plans caused by this situation. We ask for patience from customers, and we will do our best to ensure that customers can carry out their travel plans despite this unfortunate situation.”
The AKT say the two-hour strike is a stand on the role of state ownership control in Finnair.
The union said: “The protest is particularly motivated by the fact that the company’s board of directors’ remuneration has been proposed to be increased by a total of approximately 30-45 per cent over two years.
“Finnair is a majority state-owned company, as the state owns more than half of Finnair’s shares. This means that minister for European affairs and ownership steering Joakim Strand would have the right to block the increase in remuneration if he so wished.”
“We consider the increases in Finnair’s board remuneration to be similarly unreasonable,” said AKT chairman Ismo Kokko.
The IAU said it planned its demonstration to last one hour before and after Finnair’s annual general meeting, which they say includes an increase in the company’s board of directors’ pay by 11–23 per cent.
IAU said: “As the company’s majority shareholder, the state has the opportunity to rein in unreasonable increases.”
Finnair has experienced recent major industrial action including the cancellation of approximately 300 flights two weeks before Christmas due strikes by the Finnish Air Pilots’ Association.
Source: independent.co.uk
