"Finnish workers on strike to protest labour reforms, welfare cuts"

Some 290,000 Finnish workers began two days of strike action on Thursday to protest against the right-wing government's planned labour market reforms and proposed cuts to social welfare.

Companies and labour unions said the strikes were expected to halt much of Finland's air traffic, hit oil refinery output and close many shops, factories and kindergartens.

"The government's plan is cold-blooded. First, the right to strike will be severely restricted, and then tough cuts are pushed through," Jarkko Eloranta, president of Finland's largest trade union association SAK, told Reuters.

In recent months, labour unions have protested against government plans to favour local work agreements over centralised accords, limit the right to strike, make it easier to terminate work contracts and cut unemployment benefits.

The unions have said they are up for a long fight if needed, threatening to follow up with more strikes if the government, which took office last year, does not back down. [...]

"The most vulnerable workers might not stay home when they're sick if the first day became unpaid and money already was tight," Pentinmaki said. [...]

Top industry lobby group EK and the government have said the changes are needed to bring the Nordic country's economy on par with comparable states such as neighbouring Sweden. [...]