Keskisuomalainen is among the papers headlining Thursday's escalation of political strikes that are hitting a wide range of sectors including grocery stores, industry and air transport.
Unions taking part are striking against social security cuts and working life reforms by the government of Prime Minister Petteri Orpo (NCP).
Nearly 300,000 people are expected to take part in the strikes organised by the Central Organisation of Finnish Trade Unions SAK and the Finnish Confederation of Professionals STTK.
The big chain grocery stores are on a one-day strike Thursday, but Keskisuomalainen says that at least the S Group, Kesko and Lidl are trying to keep their stores open. Hotels and restaurants are also affected by the strike.
Postal workers are on strike Thursday and Friday. Posti estimates that the industrial action will cause delays of a few days in mail deliveries.
In the banking and insurance sector, the strike will last a single day. Banks are urging customers to use digital self-service and to be prepared for customer service backlogs.
Air traffic is affected Thursday and Friday. Finnair, for example, has said it will cancel around 550 flights due to the strike.
The political strikes will have a wide impact on public transport, including passenger trains, trams and buses on Friday.
Hundreds of industrial sites across the country will be closed down by the strikes on Thursday and Friday. The industrial action also includes forestry companies UPM and Stora Enso in various locations and chemical plants in Porvoo and Kokkola.
Demonstration in the capital
The SAK and STTK trade union federations are holding a demonstration against the government's labour market policies and social security cuts at Helsinki's Senate Square, beginning at noon on Thursday. It is scheduled to continue until 2pm.
Savon Sanomat reports organisers say that the demonstration is open to all members of the public concerned about the government's policies, and to NGOs.
The SAK and STTK say the demonstration is intended to send a message to the government that it needs to put the brakes on the preparation of measures that undermine working life and public wellbeing.
Aiming at employers
Trade unions are now putting pressure, above all, on employers, political journalist Teemu Muhonen writes in an analysis in Thursday morning's Helsingin Sanomat.
The official aim of the strikes is to pressure the government to come to the negotiating table and give up on measures such as limiting political some strikes, promoting local wage agreements, making it easier to dismiss workers and cutting social security.
The trade unions do oppose the government's programme, but they no longer believe that the government will voluntarily back down from its plans, says Muhonen. Based on background briefings with union leaders it is clear that the main target of the strike is now employers, not the government.
The aim of the SAK unions, in particular, is to instill fear in companies that they will suffer so much financial damage that the business community will eventually ask the government to put on the brakes.
In the view of the unions, it is the employers that want labour market reforms and they are hiding behind the government's back. Both sides know that a left-wing majority in parliament is unlikely any time soon. And so, employers can safely leave these changes to the politicians.
Underage vaping ban
According to an Uutsisuomalainen news group report, the government plans to ban the possession of all electronic cigarettes by people under the age of 18.
At present, persons under the age of 18 are not allowed to possess tobacco products or nicotine liquids. However, the law does not apply to nicotine-free electronic cigarettes, energy snuff or nicotine pouches. Electronic cigarettes in particular have become a major problem in Finnish schools.
Currently, teachers and school administrators can confiscate regular tobacco products, e-cigarettes containing nicotine, and snuff from pupils. Nicotine-free e-cigarettes can only be taken away if they interfere with learning or teaching.
A bill amending the Tobacco Act is being drawn up by the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health so that minors will no longer be allowed to possess electronic cigarettes or other tobacco substitutes.
The sale of all types of e-cigarettes to minors is already prohibited.
Battle of the ties
Iltalehti takes a look at what it calls the "hidden messages" being broadcast by both candidates in the second round of Finland's presidential election.
All messaging matters, the paper writes, as the candidates who were eliminated in the first round of the race left 1.5 million votes up for grabs, roughly the same number as the combined total polled by the finalists, Alexander Stubb (NCP) and Pekka Haavisto (Green/independent).
The paper points out that the first-round election night, Stubb was wearing a blue tie and Haavisto a red tie. A tie may be a small thing, but the choice of colours was no coincidence. On Monday, Stubb wore a red tie and Haavisto a blue tie in an Yle broadcast.
"The race for votes is fierce," writes Iltalehti.
On Tuesday, during a debate organised by Ilta-Sanomat, Haavisto wore a rose-red tie, which could be seen as referencing the Social Democratic Party.
During that same debate, Haavisto courted rural Centre and Finns Party voters by saying that Finland's wolf problem needs to be tackled. The Greens have generally been in favour of protecting wolves.
In turn, when Stubb was asked about critical remarks targeting him by Finns Party leader Riikka Purra, Stubb responded by praising the first-round election result for that party's candidate, Jussi Halla-aho, as "stunning".
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