Strikes and industrial action 

During an overtime ban, workers do not work overtime.

Generally, overtime is work done in excess of 40 hours per week. Overtime is always voluntary. During an overtime ban, workers unite in refusing overtime work requested by the employer.

During an overtime ban no extra hours should be added to working time banks or similar systems. It is not acceptable for employers to use on-call employees or agency workers to circumvent the overtime ban.

Read more

Additional hours

The same overtime limits apply to part-time workers. They may work additional hours up to the overtime limit of 40 hours per week, even during an overtime ban.

PAM has declared a shift change ban (vuoronvaihtokielto) as an industrial action.

• During the ban, employees do not agree to any changes to the work schedule at the employer’s request or make any other employer-initiated changes to working hours.
• Employees strictly follow their assigned work schedule for arriving and leaving work.
• A shift change means moving a shift in the work schedule to another time.

Do not change shifts at the request of the employer. You may change shifts at the initiative of an employee.

Example: You have a shift scheduled for 4 February. The employer asks you to move the shift to 7 February instead. Decline and only work according to your confirmed work schedule.

Additional work (lisätyö)

Part-time workers may take on extra hours if they want to during the shift change ban.

Additional work is extra hours on top of the contractual hours up to 40 hours per week. Additional work cannot be deducted from the rest of the averaging period (tasoittumisjakso).

PAM has also declared a ban on temporary transfers within the commerce sector. 

The ban means that employees cannot be transferred from an established worksite or task to some other. Employees only work according to their assigned work schedule, but may accept additional hours (lisätyö). 

Decline all transfers outside of your normal work sites proposed by the employer. Employers cannot take retaliatory action against employees following union-declared industrial action.

If your employer takes retaliatory measures, contact your union representative (luottamusmies) or the regional office immediately. The employer cannot point to clauses in your employment contract stating that you are required to work also at the company’s other locations. 

If your contract states that you circulate at several locations and do not have a fixed place of work, you should just do your regular work. A transfer cannot be done outside your usual work locations.

Examples:

• I work through a staffing agency in the restaurant industry. Should I refuse the transfer? The strike is in the commerce sector. You can accept gig work in another sector. During a strike, you should not accept work at workplaces that are on strike.
• What should I do if the employer asks me to work at another location? Refuse to transfer to a site where you do not normally work or have not worked before – only work according to your confirmed work schedule. 
• I regularly work at multiple locations. Can I now work at multiple locations? Yes, you may work at your usual locations, if your confirmed work schedule includes work at multiple locations as usual.