Nov 6, 2009, 12:44 GMT
Helsinki - Organizers of the upcoming World Cup ski event in the Finnish resort of Levi were able to draw a sigh of relief Friday as unions said the resort was exempt from a looming strike.
The service union PAM confirmed in a statement that Levi would not be impacted even if workers at other ski resorts go on strike next week.
'The competitions affect not only Levi but Lapland and tourism in Finland, as well as our image,' PAM director Ann Selin said.
The decision to exempt Levi was 'difficult,' Selin said but she noted that the World Cup slaloms on November 14 and 15 created employment opportunities and could hopefully influence pending talks with employers.
Workers at five resorts in Finland, including Levi, earlier Friday ended a strike that began Wednesday afternoon.
Failing a wage deal, workers are threatening a second strike from November 13 until early November 16.
PAM has called for a 3-per-cent wage increase while the Finnish Tourism and Restaurant Industries Federation (MaRa) has offered 0.5 per cent.
The national conciliator has invited the parties to a new meeting Monday.
A decline in business travellers and foreign visitors gives reason to be less upbeat about the outlook for the ski sector, the tourism federation said.
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