A week-long Finnish bus drivers' strike spread to the Helsinki port on Wednesday, largely halting the loading and unloading of goods and threatening chemicals and forestry firms with millions of euros in losses. The spread of the strike, which started in Helsinki last week over the use of part-time labour, also froze talks between employers and unions over a new nation-wide labour deal. Pertti Neiglick at the Port of Helsinki said that around 500-600 stevedores were involved in the strike, with passenger traffic largely unaffected but goods traffic essentially halted.
"The impact on consumers of a continuing strike will be seen in around a week's time," he told national news agency STT.