Strikes | Efforts are made to keep all K-Citymarkets, Prisma and Lidl open during possible strikes

All K-Citymarket, Prisma and Lidl stores will be kept open during possible strikes in the retail sector, the store chains tell STT.

However, there may be shortcomings in the product selection and services of some stores. In addition, the S group says that the opening hours of some Prismas may differ from normal during the strikes.

“Basically, our goal is to keep Prismat open so that customers can do business in the familiar stores they want”, director of grocery store Sampo Top saw About the S group says.

“However, we cannot yet know at this stage” whether all Prismas would be open with full services or opening hours.

According to Päällysaho, the opening hours and services depend on how many staff are available when a possible strike starts.

“The manager of an individual Prisma cannot know in advance” how many people will be present in the store.

Also Lidl tells STT that the company’s goal is to keep all stores open and services and products available normally during strikes.

“During the store strike, we will focus on keeping the stores open and serving customers as normally as possible”, Lidl Finland HR Director Päivi Ben Ammar writes in his email message.

Kesko is also assessed that K-Citymarkets will remain open during possible strikes. Director responsible for labor relations Petteri Huovinen says that the “waviness” of strikes and possible other strikes make it difficult to predict.

“This is quite a new situation, that the strikes come in phases in waves and in a combination of different unions. There are a lot of different factors to take into account, which makes it difficult to make an overall assessment,” says Huovinen.

“However, our starting point is still that K-Citymarkets will remain open and that we will be able to deliver goods to the stores even during the strike.”

According to Huovinen, K-Citymarkets would be kept open during the strikes mainly by the power of front-line employees. More pairs of hands could possibly be obtained from employees who, for one reason or another, would not participate in the strike.

“It is of course possible that some of the staff will come to work despite the strike. It’s everyone’s own choice, whether a member of the union or not,” Huovinen states.

“Finally, the information is only available on each day of the strike. It can also vary from shift to shift.”

Service industries the trade union Pam has given the trade sector three strike warnings for a total of four different periods in February. The first strikes concerning stores would take place in some K-Citymarket and Prisma stores on 9–11. February, if a new collective agreement is not agreed upon in the trade sector before then.

The strike at the stores would extend from 16 to 18. February, when it would affect a total of 415 locations, where approximately 26,000 people work.

At that time, all Suomen K-Citymarkets, Prismat, Lidl and Veljekset Keskinen Oy stores would be covered by the strike. It would also cover several Tokmanni and Halpa-Halli stores.

In addition to the stores, the strike would also affect part of Kesko’s logistics services at both times. In addition, Pam has issued strike warnings regarding store stocks from 6th to 9th. and 13.–16. February.

Pami’s strike warnings so far do not apply to Kesko’s and S group’s smaller stores, such as K-markets, S-markets, Sale and Alepo.