The strike affects specific units operated by Attendo, Esperi and Mehiläinen across Finland.
Mediation of the labour dispute in the private social services sector started on 2 February 2026. The National Conciliator issued a settlement proposal in the labour dispute concerning the collective agreement for the private social services sector on Saturday 14 February. Tehy and most of the employee organisations accepted the solution. However, the Finnish Association of Private Care Providers, which represents employers, rejected the settlement proposal. As a result, the previously announced strikes took place last week.
Director of Advocacy Jarkko Pehkonen from Tehy calls on the Finnish Association of Private Care Providers to take responsibility. The employer side must now show that it is genuinely committed to reducing the pay differences between the private social services sector and the public sector.
– In addition to across-the-board increases, the previous settlement proposal included significant increases to the minimum wages under collective agreements for all employees. The proposal also included increases to seniority bonuses, particularly for experienced nurses. These would have specifically reduced the largest pay differences, and they must be taken as a basis for a solution in the future as well, says Jarkko Pehkonen.
The new strike warning has been issued to make the Finnish Association of Private Care Providers and its member companies understand the seriousness of the situation.
The private social services sector employs around 72,000 people in total. The Tehy members working in this sector include practical nurses, registered nurses, social services professionals, physiotherapists and elderly care professionals, for example.
The collective agreement for the private social services sector applies to workplaces such as private assisted living facilities for the elderly and disabled, retirement homes, mother and child homes, shelters, home services and various social welfare and healthcare organisations.
More information on the workplaces affected by the strike is available in Finnish on the Tehy website .