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Sometimes there may be a strike or lockout. Here we have gathered information on how the strike will affect a member of the YTK Unemployment Fund.

How does membership in the fund affect in case of a strike?   

Membership in the YTK Unemployment Fund is not affected by the strike.  

YTK Unemployment Fund is an independent and open unemployment fund. The role of unemployment funds is limited by law to the payment of earnings-related security and related compensation. Unemployment funds are not parties to labour disputes or collective bargaining.

Does the employee have a duty to take part in the strike?

Everyone can decide to participate on their own. You don’t have to take part in the strike, but it’s possible.  

If you are a member of a trade union and do not participate in the strike, the union may terminate your membership in the union, depending on its rules. Membership in an unemployment fund cannot be terminated on this basis.

Can I continue my work normally despite the strike?

Usually, if you wish, you can continue to work as usual. The employer will indicate whether the strike will have an impact on your work.

You may also be prevented from working due to a lockout initiated by your employer. What should I do at the start of the lockout?  

Check with your employer to see if the lockout has an impact on your work. Even if you are not directly subject to a lockout, your work may be prevented if as a result of the lockout, for example, there is not enough labour and the work has to be stopped altogether.

Can I receive earnings-related daily allowance during a labour dispute?  

You cannot receive earnings-related daily allowance if you participate in a strike or a lockout is directed at you.

You may also not receive earnings-related daily allowance if you become indirectly unemployed due to a strike or lockout and the purpose of the industrial action is to bring about changes in the terms of your employment relationship. For example, if the site is halted due to a strike and your employment relationship is subject to the same conditions as those of the strikers, you cannot receive unemployment benefit.

You can receive earnings-related daily allowance if your work is prevented by a strike or lockout, and the industrial action does not affect the terms of your employment relationship. Your employer may also be obliged to pay you wages for a maximum of seven days if the strike prevents you from working and the strikes do not affect your terms of employment. 

In addition, you can receive earnings-related daily allowance, for example, if your pay is interrupted due to industrial action and you have been completely unemployed even before the start of a strike or lockout, or you have been laid off before the start of industrial action.

Does the YTK Unemployment Fund pay a strike subsidy?  

No. YTK Unemployment Fund is an unemployment fund. According to the law, the duties of unemployment funds do not include the payment of strike subsidies. If you are a member of a trade union, you can inquire about the strike subsidy there.

What should I do if I feel pressured to strike?  

Although industrial action can heat emotions, it is worth remembering that everyone has the right to participate or not to participate in a strike. If you are a member of a trade union and do not participate in the strike, the union may, depending on its rules, expel you from its membership. There is no effect on the membership of the unemployment fund, and membership of the fund cannot be terminated on this basis.  

If you encounter inappropriate language or treatment, find out if your employer has an operating model for how to act in such a situation. You can also report inappropriate treatment directly to your supervisor and occupational safety and health representative.

Strike vocabulary

Industrial action is a general term for a situation in which the parties use pressure to reach a collective agreement of their choice.

A strike is an industrial action used by workers to stop them from working. Typically, a strike refers specifically to measures organised in accordance with collective agreements, in which case it is a legal strike.

A lockout is a measure taken by employers to allow an employer to suspend pay and prevent workers from entering work.