Press releases

Service Union United PAM announces strikes in the commerce sector – PAM’s wage increase demands are unrealistic

Today, Friday 31 January 2025, PAM announced that it will start massive strikes in the commerce sector. The strikes will particularly target the largest logistics and daily consumer goods trade operators in the commerce sector. The Finnish Commerce Federation has actively sought a joint solution through negotiations throughout January. PAM’s strike announcement means that the joint work will go to waste.

A responsible and supervised sales model for nicotine pouches must be created quickly

Nicotine pouches have established themselves in the Finnish market and their use has increased in recent years. Product regulation is necessary, but legislation must be balanced. Public health and economic considerations must be taken into account and sales must always be responsible and supervised. The state would receive up to 150 million euros of tax revenue per year from the sale of nicotine pouches. The majority of users have switched to nicotine pouches from cigarettes, e-cigarettes or snuff.

The wave of parcels from China causes additional costs for companies operating in Finland

This Christmas, the number of visits to the websites of Chinese online stores and marketplaces has almost tripled in two years. Nearly one third of Finns have ordered purchases from Chinese online stores or marketplaces during the past year. The waste management and recycling of shipments from China that are given as Christmas presents are mainly paid for by companies operating in Finland. The authority that supervises producer responsibility is facing an impossible task.

Commerce sector companies must be eligible for R&D subsidies to increase productivity

The labour needs of the commerce sector will change significantly in the coming years. Digitalisation and the green transition in particular are shaping the work tasks of the sector and require employees to have a higher level of competence. R&D subsidies would help commerce sector companies to create employment. Increasing the amount of higher education graduates and work-related immigration is also key to solving the skills shortage.

Harassment and threats in stores continue to increase – Finnish Commerce Federation and PAM campaign against inappropriate behaviour

The Finnish Commerce Federation's and Service Union United (PAM)'s Ollaan ihmisiksi ('Let's behave') campaign launches on 10 December 2024 during the Christmas shopping season. The campaign seeks to raise customers’ awareness of the role their behaviour plays in promoting the occupational well-being of customer service professionals. More tools are also expected for legislation.

Specialty and household goods trade’s expectations for the Christmas season are slightly higher than last year  

Finns’ faith in their own finances has strengthened and, at the same time, the expectations of the specialty and household goods trade for sales towards the end of the year have also improved. This year, however, Christmas trade is burdened by the tightening of VAT just before the Christmas season, which further reduces weakly developed purchasing power. The Christmas season really begins in mid-November when global campaigns also attract Finnish consumers. Although December is by far the biggest sales month for retail, November's home technology sales have already passed December's.