Court rules Stora Enso wrongfully withheld wages during strike

A district court in Oulu has ruled that Stora Enso violated labour law by suspending wage payments to employees at its Oulu mill during industrial action in March 2024, Yle reports.

The Oulu District Court determined on Tuesday that the company must compensate 186 workers for seven days of lost pay after the mill was shut down due to strikes by the Auto and Transport Workers’ Union (AKT) and the Trade Union for the Public and Welfare Sectors (JHL). The affected employees, represented by different unions and covered by separate collective agreements, argued they were not involved in the strike action that triggered the shutdown.

Stora Enso had contested the claims in full, asserting its right under the Employment Contracts Act to withhold pay for the duration of the work stoppage. The company also demanded that the court dismiss the case and cover its legal costs. The workers, however, maintained that the mill’s closure was not their responsibility and that wages should have been paid in accordance with their individual contracts.

The dispute centred on whether the company could lawfully suspend payments to employees unaffected by the strikes that led to the temporary shutdown. The court’s decision confirms that Stora Enso must now settle the outstanding wage claims for the period in question.