The workers, members of the union Kemianliitto, accepted a three-year contract that covers some 15,000 workers in the oil, gas, chemical, and pharmaceutical industries.

International solidarity played a role in putting pressure on the bosses to give in to the union's demands. Kemianliitto's sister union in Sweden, Industrifacket, had pledged to restrict trade in industrial chemicals and gases between Sweden and Finland, a move that would have paralyzed the paper mills and metal plants.

The chemical and energy workers also received solidarity from the Finnish Transport Workers' Union and the Seafarers' Union.

The union won a wage increase of nearly 4 percent, which covers 90 percent of the workers in oil, gas, and chemical industries in Finland. It is the highest pay hike won by a union in the country so far this year. Working time will decrease by eight hours annually with no loss in pay. Improvements in sick pay and more control over farming out jobs were other advances.  
 
 
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