Negotiations between the Finnish Nurses' Union, known as Tehy, and the employer association KT broke down on May 10. The union announced a strike beginning May 12, affecting 30,000 nurses across 20 hospital districts. This walkout is expected to cause major disruption in healthcare services throughout Finland. Search interest will spike as the strike begins and hospitals announce reductions in emergency services.
Tehy reported that after 15 hours of mediation with the National Conciliator, no agreement was reached on wages and working conditions. The strike will start at 06:00 on May 12 and is open-ended, meaning it has no fixed end date. Affected hospitals include Helsinki University Hospital, Tampere University Hospital, and Turku University Hospital. Emergency care will be maintained but at a reduced capacity.
The last major nurses' strike in Finland occurred in 2022 and lasted 11 days. This current action involves 30,000 nurses, which is more than one-third of the country's nursing workforce. Hospitals are preparing to minimize disruptions, but patients should expect longer wait times and rescheduled non-emergency procedures. The situation remains tense as both sides continue to seek a resolution.