Finland’s new government wants major changes to labour law

• Finland's new centre-right government is led by Petteri Orpo of the National Coalition Party, with ministers from the Finns Party, the Christian Democrats, and the Swedish People's Party of Finland (SFP).
• SFP is the only remaining party from the old government coalition, after much hesitation and a demand for a separate anti-racism programme which the Finns Party has also signed up to. 
• The government enjoys a 106 seat majority in the 200 seat Finnish parliament. This has already been tested in two votes of confidence.
• The opposition consists of former governing parties the Social Democrats, the Centre Party, The Greens and the Left Alliance.
• The government wants to protect the welfare society by strengthening public finances and cutting debts to a Nordic level.
• The parties want to increase the employment rate, reduce income-related unemployment benefits and limit long-term dependency on basic income support.
• The right to take industrial action will be limited to 24 hours “in line with Nordic precedence” according to the government. 
• The government has faced severe criticism from trade unions for a reverse “Robin Hood policy” of taking from those who struggle the most and giving to the employers.
• The parties are already preparing for the presidential elections in January 2024, with a second round in February.

Former Prime Minister Sanna Marin (Social Democrats) left the parliament six months after the election for a new job at the Tony Blair Foundation.