HELSINKI: The crews of Finland’s icebreaker fleet got support from Finnish Seamen’s Union and the Finnish Engineers’ Association as both threatened to start action against state owned Artia shipping. If the sympathy strike proves necessary, it will extend the strike to every cargo ship sailing under the Finnish flag. This would potentially include the passenger cruise ships of Viking Line, Tallink Silja and Eckerö Line.
The Finnish Seamen’s Union and the Finnish Engineers’ Association are threatening to start supportive action at 2 pm Thursday to stand alongside Union support of an icebreaker crew strike threatens to shut down all of Finland’s maritime traffic flying under the Finnish flag just in time for the Easter holidays. The Finnish Seamen’s Union and the Finnish Engineers’ Association decided on Tuesday that they will begin support action for the strike on Holy Thursday at 2 pm if a settlement can’t be reached.
If the sympathy strike ends up happening, the two unions’ members will not help incoming cargo and freight vessels return to sea, the unions said in a press release. “The ships would remain at port,” said the Seamen’s Union head Simo Zitting.
