Negotiations between UPM and Paperworkers’ Union interrupted, union turned down four settlement proposals

UPM and the Paperworkers’ Union have not been able to come to new collective labour agreements. Today, the union turned down four settlement proposals submitted by the conciliator. The exceptionally long strike at UPM Pulp, UPM Communication Papers, UPM Specialty Papers, UPM Raflatac and UPM Biofuels units in Finland continues.

“We are deeply disappointed in the decision of the union and in the continuation of the strike that has already lasted 3,5 months. UPM has been negotiating with an earnest mind and made several compromises. We also accepted the conciliation proposals. Modernising the agreement stemming from 1940’s would be important both for the employees and the company,” says Jyrki Hollmén, Vice President, Labour Markets at UPM.

“It is very disappointing that after intensive negotiations, no business was able to reach a conclusion. Petri Vanhala, chairman of the Paperworkers’ Union, confirmed in the mediation of all businesses that each business can be agreed separately. The mediation found settlement proposals for four businesses that took the needs and wishes of both parties into account. We were confident that both parties undertook to accept these settlement proposals and industrial peace would resume. Now that the union has turned down the once drafted proposals, our businesses will make a fresh start,” Hollmén continues.

The union board has announced that the strike started on 1 January will continue until 14 May, unless agreements are reached before that. Currently, approximately 2 000 members of the union are on strike. Approximately 200 union members are working in tasks critical to society, such as heat generation and water management, in line with a court order of 21 January 2022.

UPM’s mechanical forest industry businesses UPM Plywood and UPM Timber each signed a 3-year collective agreement with the Industrial Union already in December 2021.

UPM will service its customers from its mills outside of Finland to the extent possible. UPM will disclose its Q1 results on 26 April.
https://www.upm.com/about-us/for-media/releases/2022/04/negotiations-between-upm-and-paperworkers-union-interrupted-union-turned-down-four-settlement-proposals/

Related Posts

Euro-Graph Reports Monthly Statistics of the European Graphic Papers Industry

Total European shipments of graphic papers in September 2022 were down 11.0% vs. September 2021 and were down 10.6% year-to-date. Total European shipments of newsprint in September 2022 were down 4.9% vs. September 2021 and were down 7.2% year-to-date. Total European shipments of sc-magazine in September 2022 were down 17.1% vs. September 2021 and were down 14.5% year-to-date. Total European shipments of coated mechanical reels in September 2022 were down 13.2% vs. September 2021 and were down 19.5% year-to-date. Total European shipments of uncoated mechanical (improved & others) in September 2022 were down 11.5% vs. September 2021 and were down 13.5% year-to-date. Total European shipments of coated woodfree in September 2022 were down 11.9% vs. September 2021 and were down 2.3% year-to-date. Total European shipments of uncoated woodfree in September 2022 were down 10.4% vs. September 2021 and were down 10.2% year-to-date.

Appvion Completes Sale to Lender Group Led by Franklin Advisers

Appvion announced completion of the sale of substantially all of the Company’s assets to a group of its lenders led by Franklin Advisers, Inc. The transaction will significantly reduce Appvion’s debt, provide additional liquidity, and better position the Company to compete long-term in the evolving specialty paper market and further invest in the innovation that has made it a market leader. As previously announced, the sale was approved by the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of Delaware on May 14, 2018. The total consideration was approximately $365 million, plus the assumption of substantial liabilities, including many of the Company’s contractual obligations. Prior to the closing of the transaction, the Company reached agreement with the United Steelworkers Union on new collective bargaining agreements for Appvion’s manufacturing facilities in Appleton, Wisconsin, West Carrollton, Ohio, and Roaring Spring, Pennsylvania. The new three-year agreements, which were ratified at the end of May, cover approximately 830 Appvion employees. Click Read More below for additional information.

Metsä Group establishes an innovation company and plans to build a demo plant in Äänekoski, Finland for the production of textile fibres

Metsä Group has established a new innovation company, Metsä Spring Ltd. The company will, together with partner organisations, invest in new endeavours with the target to identify and develop new business opportunities in sustainable forest-based bioeconomy and circular economy. Niklas von Weymarn has been appointed CEO of the company. He transfers to Metsä Spring from the position of VP, Research in Metsä Fibre, also part of Metsä Group. The office of Metsä Spring is in the heart of the internationally-acknowledged Otaniemi innovation campus in Espoo, Finland. The establishment of the new innovation company does not affect the current research and development activities of Metsä Group’s current business areas. ”With the establishment of Metsä Spring, we want to create a new dimension to Metsä Group’s innovation activities and thereby participate more actively in the development of new business concepts in forest-based bioeconomy and circular economy. A large share of new ideas are generated outside our company and the new business concepts are increasingly developed in novel partnerships. The new innovation company enables Metsä Group to better take part in this activity,” says Metsä Group’s President and CEO and Metsä Spring’s Chairman of the Board Ilkka Hämälä. Click Read More below for additional information.
Back To Top
×Close search
Search