Finnair Pilots Suspend Work To Rule & Standby Ban

Finnair pilots have suspended (again) their work-to-rule and standby ban actions, and negotiations regarding the new agreement with the airline continue today.

SLL  stated that the strike actions were suspended after the employer approved and committed to continuing negotiations in good faith.

You can access Finnair here.

Previously, pilots worked only their scheduled shifts, refraining from working overtime or on their days off. Additionally, a ban on reserve duty had been in place until yesterday.

Negotiations for a new collective labor agreement for Finnair’s pilots have been ongoing since August, and the mediation process is scheduled to resume on Wednesday.

Work-to-rule action and a ban on standby duty have resulted in close to 2,000 cancelled Finnair flights, often at the last minute, since late 2024.

Conclusion

It would be about time for Finnair and its pilot union to reach an agreement that would be acceptable for both parties, and it would be interesting to know what the sticking point has been.

Finnair has previously outsourced cabin crew on some of its Asian flights to local firms, and these flight attendants are not even working for the airline.

There were some references previously that Finnair was planning to outsource some functions that its pilots were performing, but it was unclear exactly what.

Even if the airline reaches an agreement with its pilot union, ground handling workers will still be on strike (read more here). Cabin crew working directly for the airline don’t currently have a contract either, so these disruptions to Finnair’s traffic may continue.

Source