Press releases

Commerce sector sales are decreasing – incentive traps are also causing headaches

According to a recent forecast by the Finnish Commerce Federation, the volume of retail trade sales* will shrink by roughly two per cent this year, and the increase in turnover in euros will be driven solely by rising costs and prices. Cost competition in the sector is accelerating, and the number of employed people is decreasing. However, when there is also a shortage of skilled labour, fierce cost competition does not promote the development of the sector in the international competitive environment. From the point of view of the growth of the entire national economy, including commerce, it is important for the future government to secure the availability of skilled labour.

The National Conciliator did not see the prerequisites for issuing a settlement proposal in the commerce sector labour dispute – The Finnish Commerce Federation is disappointed in PAM's unwillingness to negotiate

The National Conciliator did not see the prerequisites for presenting a proposal for reconciliation in the labour dispute in the commerce sector today, as the views of the parties were still far removed from one another. The Finnish Commerce Federation is very disappointed that, despite all the proposals from the Finnish Commerce Federation, PAM is not ready to negotiate an amicable solution to avoid strikes, but decided through its own actions to further postpone the pay increases of employees and the development measures of the pay system. The strikes at the largest grocery stores and Kesko's regional terminals will commence on Thursday.

PAM expands strikes again – new massive strikes in stores

On Tuesday 31 January, Service Union United PAM announced further industrial action in the commerce sector. The collective agreement negotiations are still very much in progress, and the first strikes have not yet begun. The latest strike warning pertaining to stores covers 415 sites that employ some 26,000 people. The strike includes all K-Citymarkets, Prismas, Lidl Suomi Ky and Veljekset Keskinen Oy stores, 42 Tokmanni and 14 Kokkola Halpa-Halli stores, as well as Kesko Logistics' terminals in Tampere, Turku, Kuopio and Oulu, among others.

Unexpected turn in the trade sector collective agreement negotiations—Service Union United PAM announces widespread strikes

The collective agreement and salary negotiations launched in January by the Finnish Commerce Federation and Service Union United PAM took a surprising turn on Sunday 22 January 2023 when PAM announced industrial action for the second week of February. According to PAM, the announcement applies to more than 185 sites with about 20,000 employees. The strikes would start in warehouses on Monday, 6 February 2023 and continue in other commerce sector locations on 9 February 2023. The Finnish Commerce Federation considers PAM's activities irresponsible and feels that PAM has not been genuinely involved in the negotiations and developing the collective agreement.  

The Finnish Commerce Federation and the Finnish Grocery Trade Association PTY have prepared a package of materials to support the food debate, including proposals for solutions to the challenges facing the food supply chain

The debate on the position of primary food producers and the distribution of profits and increased costs in the food supply chain has accelerated and intensified over the past year. As the year is coming to a close, commerce has prepared the Kaupan näkökulmia ruokakeskusteluun (‘Commerce’s view of the food debate’) material package to declare its stance, to open up the situation in the market and to provide facts for the, occasionally, biased discussion.

The Finnish Commerce Federation condemns walkouts and work stoppages     

The Finnish Commerce Federation condemns the walkouts and work stoppages against companies in the commerce sector as illegal industrial action. These disturbances reduce confidence in the functionality of the collective agreement system as a whole. The measures taken during the Christmas trade, which is essential for the commerce sector, also cause disproportionate harm to commerce companies and customers.