Strike hits Helsinki yard

Some 400 workers shut down the Helsinki operations of shipbuilder Aker Finnyards on Friday in protest against planned layoffs and cutbacks. The strike, scheduled to last until Monday morning, came after last month’s announcement by the company that it would outsource some operations, cut its work force in Helsinki by more than a quarter, or 120 workers, and move the company headquarters to the southwestern city of Turku.

Aker Finnyards President Yrjo Julin said the strike was illegal. “I think it is most unfortunate that they have embarked on this illegal strike in the middle of our (redundancy) negotiations,” Julin said. “Our aim is to transform the Helsinki yard into a competitive passenger ferry yard, and the alternative is that there will be no work here.”