Strike benefit is intended for those members who lose income due to the industrial action or lockout. Strike benefit is paid for actual losses. This means that if you are, for example, on study leave the whole spring, you cannot apply for strike benefit although all your colleagues were on strike at that time.

OAJ reimburses expenses caused by the industrial actions through a daily strike benefit. The benefit is also paid for weekend days, provided that the employer is not paying a salary to the employee during the strike.

The union will ensure the participation in the strike from the local Industrial Action Committee and request statements on the income loss from its members after the strike, if necessary.

A member participating strike imposed by the organisation may apply for strike pay at the earliest on the day following the end of the strike. 

OAJ members apply for strike pay through the strike application. Logging in to the application takes place via My Profile.

Fill in the strike days on which you have participated the strike and the actual earnings loss has occurred. Also fill in the bank account number where you wish the strike pay to be paid to.

Once you have read the instructions for the strike application you can apply for strike pay via the My Profile section.

The strike pay can be found on My Profile site left side menu after the strike. Scroll down the menu until you find the strike application.

The application will become visible after the strike. Scroll down the menu far enough to see the strike app title. If it is not visible, but you have the correct association on your data, contact directly the OAJ office and ask them to add you to the strike list. Contact: katja.jarvinen@oaj.fi or pawan.kumar@oaj.fi 

Strike pay must be applied for within 6 months. It's not possible to apply strike pay from the strikes 2022 anymore.

Members of SOOL and OSJ as well as members who are members of a non-strike association
Members of SOOL and OSJ fill in the enquiry form prior applying for strike pay. Also those OAJ members fill in the enquiry form who are members of an association in a locality other than the strike and cannot therefore fill in directly information on the application. You can access the enquiry form here.

After completing the enquiry form you still need to apply for strike pay on the strike application.

You can apply for strike pay once you have received an e-mail notice enabling the application.

Problems with the strike application?

If you have problems with the application, please use this enquiry form.

The OAJ Executive Board has set the strike benefit paid to OAJ members at EUR 180 per day in 2023.
During the industrial action, strike benefit will be paid for all the working days for which the employee is not paid by the employer.

Strike benefit is also paid to SOOL and OSJ members who are on strike.

Why is my strike pay taxed about 50 %?

The strike pay exceeding 16 euros is taxable income. The withholding tax is carried out in accordance with the tax authorities’ instructions and OAJ reports the information directly to the tax authorities. The remaining 50% tax will be deducted according to the tax administration’s decision. The share to be paid to the member is 98 euros per day. The withholding tax is equalized in the final taxation according to the full-year earned income.

OAJ cannot elude the tax authorities instructions. So do not send your tax deduction card for the strike pay, but have your income tax card for pay recalculated.

For how long must I have been a member in order to be entitled to strike benefit?

You must have joined the union as a member well before the strike, but before issuing the strike notice, at the latest. Strike benefits are paid to new members only after the union fees are visible on the union’s account. Regarding this strike, the strike notice has been issued 23rd January at 11.30 am.

Who will receive strike benefit?

Strike benefit is intended for those members who lose income due to the industrial action or lockout. Strike benefit is paid for actual losses. This means that if you are, for example, on study leave the whole spring, you cannot apply for strike benefit although all your colleagues were on strike at that time.

OAJ reimburses expenses caused by the industrial actions through a daily strike benefit. The benefit is also paid for weekend days, provided that the employer is not paying a salary to the employee during the strike. The union will ensure the participation in the strike from the local Industrial Action Committee and request statements on the income loss from its members after the strike, if necessary.

Am I entitled to strike benefit as a substitute?

If you have agreed on working as a substitute before the strike notice was issued and you take part in the industrial action, you are entitled to strike benefit. Strike benefit is also paid to SOOL and OSJ members who are on strike.

It is imperative that everyone participates in the strike. In connection with the potential industrial action, we will provide more detailed instructions to substitutes on how to apply for strike benefit.

Will I receive strike benefit if some of my union fees are not yet paid?
We will check your union fee payment situation when paying the strike benefit. If you have outstanding union fees, contact OAJ’s membership services using the contact form.

You can also call the free service number at +358 800 418 401. The membership services will provide you with instructions for the payment of the union fees. If the amount of outstanding fees is high, a payment plan can be prepared.

What will happen if a member does not participate in an industrial action organised by the union?

Political strikes differ from ordinary strikes in many respects. In an ordinary strike, OAJ can sanction its' member who violates the strike. Regarding this political strike, OAJ has made a decision that it will not take disciplinary actions against members who violate the strike.

OAJ, however, emphasizes that the industrial action is a joint action by everyone and is only effective if everyone does their part to ensure that the strike holds.

Can I cancel my membership in OAJ on the occasion of a strike, and reinstate it after the strike is over?

OAJ closely tracks of changes in membership during industrial action. If a member cancels their membership at the end of a collective agreement period or upon learning of a strike notice and returns after the industrial action as a member, the member is placed under a waiting period. They can reinstate their membership only after the waiting period. OAJ processes each case separately and clarifies currently valid memberships.

No they are not. Employers do not have the right to gather information about the union membership of individual employees to prepare for a strike. This concerns all members, supervisory positions included. Such enquiries will be interpreted as attempts to break the strike. The union will address every such attempt.

No it cannot. It is a fundamental right. The union determines the limits of strike activity, in other words, the duties and places of work that the strike concerns.

No, it cannot. The strike also covers pre- and post-strike work. Meaning, work related to the strike is not to be performed.

The employer does not have the right to terminate or cancel the employment relationship due to a so-called legal strike. However, a strike does not prevent the employee’s right to terminate an employment contract valid until further notice at any time.

How does the strike affect a fixed-term employment relationship?

The strike will not have an impact on the length of a fixed-term employment relationship. A fixed-term employment contract always ends after the fixed term, unless the contracting parties expressly agree otherwise on the continuation of the employment relationship.

I’m on a trial period. Do I dare to participate in the strike?

When the trial period is valid in accordance with the employment contract, both parties are allowed to terminate or cancel the contract without any special reasons. However, the employer is not allowed, during the trial period and during the strike, to cancel the employment relationship for a reason which is discriminating or otherwise inappropriate in terms of the purpose of the trial period.

What is the impact of the strike on part-time work?

If, for example, you are on part-time pension or partial child care leave but no work assignments have been agreed for the days covered by strike, the strike will not affect you. If work has been agreed for the strike days, you are covered by the strike and are thus entitled to receive the strike benefit.

No you cannot. The union takes responsibility for the strike. Up-to-date information about the status of negotiations in different agreement sectors can be found at this website in Finnish.

No, that is not part of supervisors’ official duties.

No.

Emergency work refers to work which is essential in order to prevent the endangering of the health and safety of citizens or to protect such property that would be especially endangered due to an industrial action.

The emergency work regulations only apply to civil servants. An employee in an employment relationship cannot be ordered to perform emergency work.

According to OAJ, work in the education, training and research field is not regarded as emergency work due to its nature.

It is allowed to perform work other than work included in the strike or practice entrepreneurial activities.

 During the strike, the employee is not allowed to perform work which is competing with the work of the employee’s own employer without the employer’s permission (principle of good faith), unless the employee has agreed otherwise with the employer (e.g. permission to practice a secondary occupation).

The employers is not obligated to offer salary-type fringe benefits, such as lunch benefit and recreational vouchers, during the strike. The right of use of company housing remains valid during the strike. The employee must, upon the employer’s request, hand over the employer’s tools, such as mobile phones and computers, to the employer.

If an employee has made an appointment at occupational health care prior a short strike, it is unlikely that the employer would deny the appointment during the strike. In the case of illnesses that began during the strike, the employer may deny the use of occupational health care services.

Does the strike affect the amount of pension?

The strike affects the amount of pension through the reduction of salary on which the pension is based. In a short industrial action, the impact is minor.

What is the impact of the strike on the partial early old-age pension?
The strike will have no effect on moving to old-age pension or partial early old-age pension. 

I'm a retired person working in education. Am I covered by the strike, and how does the strike affect my situation?

It is work that is placed on strike, not people. If you are a member of Retired Teachers in Finland, OSJ, you are obligated to participate in the strike and are entitled to receive strike benefit.

If you are not a member of OSJ, you may take part in the strike without being sanctioned by your employer. In this case, however, you are not entitled to receive the strike benefit.

Does the strike affect the occupational retirement age?

It does not.

Can a supervisor participate in the strike although they would be appointed as a representative of the employer?

If the union has made the strike decision, supervisors can participate in the strike pursuant to this decision. Supervisors can participate in the strike, although they were appointed as the employer’s representative. The employer cannot prohibit anyone from participating in the strike or exclude persons in charge from the industrial action in advance.

Will supervisors need to prepare a plan on how to run a school/day care center in the event of a strike?

No, that is not part of supervisors’ official duties.

As a rule, shop stewards and occupational safety and health representatives within the scope of the limits of strike will participate in the industrial action. JUKO and OAJ define the limits of strike.

Shop stewards also takes care of matters related to the employee relationship of an individual member during the industrial action. It should be noted that the employer might not pay any compensation for this period.

It is work that is placed on strike, not people. A non-unionised employee may take part in a strike without being sanctioned by their employer. Strike benefits, however, are only paid to members of OAJ.

What should a non-unionised employee do during the strike?

Strike results benefit all employees, also non-unionised ones. They can take part in the strike, but are not entitled to strike benefit. In accordance with the principle of neutrality, employees not belonging to the organisation arranging the strike or employees belonging to the organisation whose duties are not covered by the strike are not obligated to perform duties which fall within the scope of the industrial action.

However, they have the legal right to refuse to perform work under the strike which they do not usually perform (e.g. section 12 of the Municipal Civil-servant Collective Agreements Act). This is also expected from them by the strikers as well as their organisation.

Political strikes differ from ordinary strikes in many respects. In an ordinary strike, OAJ can sanction its' member who violates the strike. Regarding this political strike, OAJ has made a decision that it will not take disciplinary actions against members who violate the strike.

OAJ, however, emphasizes that the industrial action is a joint action by everyone and is only effective if everyone does their part to ensure that the strike holds.

Can I cancel my membership in OAJ on the occasion of a strike, and reinstate it after the strike is over?

OAJ closely tracks of changes in membership during industrial action. If a member cancels their membership at the end of a collective agreement period or upon learning of a strike notice and returns after the industrial action as a member, the member is placed under a waiting period. They can reinstate their membership only after the waiting period. OAJ processes each case separately and clarifies currently valid memberships.

The strike will not have an impact on the due dates of salary arrears.

If an employee has salary arrears which fall due during the strike, they will be paid on the due date. If the payment is delayed, the payment is subject to interest pursuant to the Interest Act. This only applies to receivables accumulated before the strike which fall due during the strike. Naturally, no salary is paid during the strike.

Am I allowed to travel abroad during the strike?

The strike may end abruptly at very short notice. As an employee, you are obligated to be available to your employer immediately after the strike ends.

How will the strike affect me if I am abroad with pupils or students?

The scope of the industrial action is explained in the strike notice. It details the duties included in and excluded from the strike. We are aware that many camps and school trips in Finland and abroad have been planned for March–May. These will be taken into account in the planning of the strike.