On 8 October 2007, in the process of collective bargaining between the Union of Salaried Employees (TU) and the employer association Technology Industries, TU gave notice on industrial action targeted at seven Finnish metals industry companies, including Outokumpu’s Tornio Works. During the evening of 16 October, the National Conciliator Juhani Salonius informed that he has no grounds to make a proposal for a settlement. Therefore, as new negotiations have not been set, the industrial action is likely to start on 22 October 2007 at 11:00am. Should the industrial action start it would mean an almost immediate cessation of production of stainless steel at Outokumpu’s Tornio Works. Some 400 salaried employees in Tornio would be involved, mainly at the stainless steel mill. The Kemi chromite mine and the Tornio ferrochrome smelter will not be affected. The stainless steel finished products capacity of Tornio Works is some 1.2 million tons per year or some 23,000tns per week. In terms of weekly sales this translates to some EUR 75 million.
