News:Strike averted at Olkiluoto Nuclear Construction Site

YLE, 17.09.2008, 10.24 (updated 17.09.2008, 10.24)

Finland:

Strike Averted at Nuclear Construction Site

The Finnish Construction Trade Union has cancelled a strike warning for the construction site of a nuclear reactor at Olkiluoto. The Union was able to come to an agreement with French employer Bouygues and sub-contractor Rimec over the taxes and labour fees for Polish workers.

In essence, the disagreements pertained to unclear payslips. Polish workers sought help from the Union when they were not sure that taxes and other fees were being correctly calculated and paid to the correct authorities or the correct country.

Rimec did not itemize social and labour fees, or even what country they were paid to. Payslips also did not explain how the income tax rate was calculated. The company had simply withheld around a third of their gross pay for "tax purposes".

Negotiations clarified the issue late Tuesday night. The Union says that taxes and fees were calculated and paid according to labour laws and applicable working contracts.

Had the strike gone ahead as planned on Wednesday, it would have most likely halted all construction work at the already behind-schedule reactor building site.