Transport Strike Hits Morning Commute
Image: YLE / Jouni Koutonen
Around two-thirds of long-distance busses and capital city busses came to a halt after the Transport Workers' Union (AKT) launched an open-ended nationwide strike Tuesday evening.
Bus companies said managers drove as many busses as possible. Local transport run by non-union municipal companies ran as normal. This means that big cities were hit the hardest, as most of their bus transport is run by private companies.
The Helsinki Regional Transport Authority (HSL), which represents six municipalities, said it would try to replace as many missing drivers as possible. Espoo and Vantaa's internal transport suffered the most. The metro, trams, and commuter trains were running close to normal -- although they were more crowded than usual.
Heikki Kääriäinen, managing director of the Finnish Bus and Coach Association, said managers would pick up some of the slack.
”We will try to cover the morning and evening rush-hour traffic,” he said.
Long-Distance Travel, Garbage Collection Affected
Many long-distance busses were not running. Some companies intended to operate a limited service; passengers were advised to check operators' websites for details.
The strike affected lorries as well as busses, so garbage collection, transport and even plane fuelling faced disruption.
The Finnish Oil and Gas Federation pointed out that a prolonged strike by transport workers could lead to petrol shortages at gas stations. Airlines also faced difficulty in fuelling planes. Experts said the strike would also affect foreign trade, as it would delay shipments of goods.
Had the strike lasted a few days, shortages could have been seen in grocery stores. However officials said there was no need to begin hoarding.
Garbage Day on Hold
The strike also paralysed waste removal services. In the Helsinki region, the strike halted 80 percent of all garbage trucks. Trash was expected to pile up in large cities where waste management is contracted to large companies affected by the strike.
"The strike means 500 daily tonnes of garbage will not be picked up. The waste will be collected when the strike ends," said Juha Talvio of the Helsinki Region Environmental Services Authority.
The union and employers were locked in a dispute over wages. The AKT said it had been requesting reasonable pay raises, but the Employers’ Federation of Road Transport (ALT) said the demands have been unreasonable.
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YLE