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Earnings-related allowance during the strike
Collective agreement negotiations in spring have increased the likelihood of strikes in some sectors.
If your work is prevented due to a strike that seeks to influence your working conditions or terms of employment, you are not entitled to earnings-related allowance for the days on strike.
We can pay you earnings-related daily allowance for these days only if
- you are entirely without work and already received earnings-related allowance before the strike, or
- you are temporarily laid off from all work and the lay-off notice was given before the strike.
Strike pay
Strike pay is a form of compensation paid by trade unions for the days on strike. If you are a member of a trade union, you can apply for strike pay from your union.
Unemployment funds do not pay strike pay. If you have any questions about strike pay, please contact your trade union.
Are you on strike from part-time work?
We cannot pay you earnings-related allowance for strike days if you work part-time and apply for adjusted earnings-related allowance.
Remember to report the strike days in your earnings-related allowance application.
Example:
You work part-time and apply for adjusted allowance from the fund from the period 1–31 May 2023. You are on strike from 23 May to 31 May. In the daily reports in the application, write down “lakko” (strike) for each day on strike.
We cannot pay you earnings-related daily allowance for the period 23–31 May. If you are a member of a trade union, you can apply for strike pay from your union. We will process your earnings-related allowance application normally for the period 1–22 May.
Was your pay interrupted by a strike in another sector?
You may be entitled to earnings-related allowance if your work is interrupted by a strike in another sector. If this happens to you, register as a job seeker with the TE Office. We can only pay earnings-related allowance for the days when you are registered as a job seeker.
Please note that your employer is obligated to pay you wages for seven days if your work is prevented due to a strike in another sector and the strike does not seek to influence your working conditions or terms of employment. If the strike continues and your work is prevented for longer than seven days, you may be entitled to earnings-related allowance paid by the unemployment fund without a five-day waiting period.
Impact of a strike on job alternation leave
Please note that strike days are unpaid absence and may affect your ability to take job alternation leave.
To take a job alternation leave, your employment relationship with the same employer must have lasted continuously for at least 13 months before the start of the job alternation leave. This 13-month period may include a maximum of 30 days of unpaid absences.
A strike will not affect your job alternation allowance if you are already on alternation leave.
