Employers and unions have been disputing pay rules since a drone alert in Uusimaa two weeks ago urged people to remain indoors.
This week, Finland’s largest SME lobby, the Federation of Finnish Enterprises, announced that employers in Finland do not necessarily have to pay employees unable to commute to work because of a drone threat.
Now, Employment Minister Matias Marttinen (NCP) has asked central labour market organisations to work with authorities on drawing up a common workplace guidance within the coming weeks.
He also indicated that legislative changes may be introduced if deemed necessary.
Speaking to Yle on Tuesday, the federation’s CEO, Mikael Pentikäinen, said he believed a compromise could be found on how to handle wages during drone-related emergency alerts.
“I believe that in most workplaces it will still be possible to operate in a way where it does not really matter if getting to work is delayed by a few hours,” he said, speaking on Yle’s A-studio discussion programme.
Employers and employee organisations have been debating wage payments following a drone alert issued in Uusimaa two weeks ago, which advised people to stay indoors.
Labour unions argue that employees should still be entitled to pay if they are unable to travel to work due to a drone-related threat.
Employer groups, on the other hand, maintain that there is no obligation to pay wages in such cases, as the disruption does not impact the workplace itself.
Prime Minister Petteri Orpo (NCP) has said that employees should not lose pay if they are forced to stay home due to safety concerns linked to drone threats. He urged employers and labour representatives to reach a swift agreement on the issue.
