The Industrial Union declares a ban on overtime in the technology and chemical industries

Today, 13 January 2025, the Industrial Union has announced sector-specific overtime and shift-changing bans for employees in the technology industry, basic chemical industry, plastic product industry and chemical product industry and in the oil, natural gas, and petrochemical industries.

The overtime and shift-changing bans have been announced to accelerate sector-specific collective agreement negotiations, and they apply to the entire contractual sector.

The Industrial Union has also announced a ban on overtime and shift-changing in three companies in the mechanical forestry industry. The overtime and shift-changing bans in the mechanical forestry industry apply to company-specific collective agreement negotiations.

The announced sector-specific overtime and shift-changing bans begin immediately and end on 2 March 2025. The company-specific overtime and shift-changing bans in the mechanical forestry industry begin immediately and end on 9 February 2025.

“We are aiming for contractual solutions that secure fair working conditions and fair wage increases. The purchasing power of employees, which has weakened sharply in recent years, must be strengthened”, says Riku Aalto, Chairman of the Industrial Union.

“Wage solutions must take into account the purchasing power gap that has arisen. A solution that simply takes into account inflation in the coming years is not enough to strengthen the financial situation of our members in a sufficient way. The overtime and shift change bans announced today are part of organizational measures that we are using to find a solution that makes it easier for people to cope in their everyday lives”, Aalto continues.

During the autumn and winter, the Industrial Union has agreed on numerous company-specific collective agreements that are close in cost impact to the ten percent wage increase target announced by the federation.

The overtime and shift change bans do not apply to emergency work or work that is essential to protecting life and health.

The technology industry’s collective agreement expired on 30 November 2024. The collective agreements in the chemical industry expired on 31 December 2024.

On Friday 10 January 2025, the Industrial Union issued a strike warning of six-day strikes to 50 companies in the technology industry and the chemical industry.

More detailed information on the overtime and shift change bans specific to the agreement sector, as well as information on the companies in the mechanical forestry industry that are affected by the overtime and shift change ban, can be found here.