Why graduate engineers are on strike: "Kiky annoys everyone"

The employee representative of Neste Engineering Solutions Oy Heikki Harju has an answer to the question what makes the graduate engineers go on strike right now.

– At the moment, kiky (the competitiveness pact) annoys everyone. Everywhere, where kiky hours have been performed, they have been ready to go on strike. The susceptibility to strike was increased also by the presentations on the negotiating table about the cuts on holiday bonuses.

According to Harju, the consulting sector also has their own special reason. 

– We are experiencing a salary lag of 500 euros. In technology industry, the median salary is 500 euros higher than in the consulting sector. This can be considered a good enough reason for a strike.

Harju describes that the strike has progressed at Neste Porvoo production facilities in Kilpilahti in a peaceful manner. The pickets have been on duty at the gate and they have stopped by indoors as well.

Harju himself has been at the gate too and gives the interview at the end of his shift having his lunch.

– Here, of the 650 employees, 30 are working.  We have worked in good faith. We have agreed with the management of the company that there will be no excessive trouble making and the company will not take countermeasures. Being content, we have behaved in a civilized manner here.

In your opinion, what will come out of the strike?

– Hopefully, we will achieve good agreements. However, it is difficult to say how it ends. Might be that nothing happens and we’ll have to go on strike again.

According to Harju, the current situation arose suddenly. Only six months ago, he was laughing with his colleagues about the heritage of the old employee representative, two bags full of pickets’ vests.  

– We wouldn’t have believed that they are in use now.

Read more on the strikes and the overtime ban and the prohibition on travel during free time here.