Nationwide strike brings part of Finland to a halt

[Omaha Steve]

Source: AP

COPENHAGEN, Denmark (AP) — A strike in Finland halted public transportation and shut down ports nationwide on Friday as workers protested against government cutbacks aimed at trying to drag the Nordic country out of a three-year economic downturn.

Trains and city buses were not running. Finnair, the national carrier, cancelled 16 domestic flights and airport authorities say delays could be expected. However, ferries, including those to Sweden and Estonia, were running normally.

Some shops are expected to be closed during demonstrations later in the day in Helsinki and major Finnish cities.

The strike comes after talks on a collective agreement on wages and working hours collapsed. Three unions claiming to represent some 2.2 million people — nearly half of Finland's population of 5.5 million — are protesting government cutbacks, including limits to holiday benefits and overtime pay.

FULL story at link.

Read more: http://bigstory.ap.org/article/8ff68d6cb69a4632854f33320e1dcfe6/nationwide-strike-brings-parts-finland-halt

[ReactFlux]

1. Strikes are the ONLY way for Workers to not only be Heard

but also Followed

[fbc]

2. Government cutbacks do not end economic downturns: they perpetuate them

why do people still not know this?

[GOLGO 13]

3. Shut down an entire country? That's a bad-ass union!

If we had that kind of power in this country, we'd have the elites in deep check. Union POWAH!

[Old Union Guy]

4. Bravo! n/t

[olddots]

5. Government there is a work in progress

in America government has become a work in digress .

[Dont call me Shirley]

6. Protest austerity!

[daleo]

7. Finns are a pretty feisty bunch

I married one.