Strikes may affect teaching for some students at Metropolia University of Applied Sciences. Metropolia’s schools will inform students directly during this week (36) of any changes to teaching.
What’s happening next week?
The Trade Union of Education in Finland (OAJ) has issued a strike warning affecting six universities of applied sciences: Metropolia University of Applied Sciences, LAB University of Applied Sciences, Savonia University of Applied Sciences, South-Eastern Finland University of Applied Sciences (XAMK), Oulu University of Applied Sciences and Lapland University of Applied Sciences. The new strikes will begin on Tuesday 8 September 2026 and end on 10 September 2026, unless a resolution to the labour dispute between the OAJ and Sivistysala ry (Sivistan) is reached before then.
Heidi Rontu, Director of Lifelong Learning at Metropolia University of Applied Sciences, has been in contact with METKA and has stated that Metropolia aims to organise teaching despite the strike in such a way that, at the very least, no one’s graduation is delayed, by ensuring, for example, that compulsory laboratory sessions take place. However, Metropolia cannot guarantee that the strike will not affect students at all.
A brief overview of the labour dispute at universities of applied sciences
The collective agreement for universities of applied sciences (TES) has expired on 31 March 2026, and prior to this, the negotiating parties, Sivista and OAJ, have begun negotiations on the specific terms of the TES. No agreement was reached by the time the TES expired, so the trade unions have the right to use strikes as a means of industrial action to speed up the agreement and the negotiations. A strike is lawful when the collective agreement has expired, no new agreement has been reached, and the strike is given at least two (2) weeks’ notice.
The first strikes at Metropolia University of Applied Sciences took place on 8 April and 23 April 2026. As the OAJ and Sivista have not yet reached an agreement, the negotiating party representing the teachers has decided to issue a strike warning for the autumn as well.
In its industrial action, the OAJ is seeking to retain the availability allowance, particularly for teachers in the technology sector, and has stated in a press release that it is prepared to give up the allowance in a controlled manner, provided that salaries in other educational sectors are raised in a controlled manner over the long term.
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