The Board of the UJF board has approved, 13 March, the conciliation proposal tabled the day before for a new collective agreement in the film and television production industry. Teme, the Trade Union for Media and Theatre Finland, and Palta, Service Sector Employers Palta have also approved the proposal. As a result, the two-week strike notice for the industry from 22 March to 5 April has been cancelled. The industry overtime ban ends immediately. The new three-year collective agreement guarantees pay rises in line with the general standard for film and TV production workers. In addition, a well-being at work package to improve occupational health has been included in the agreement, and equal paid family leave has been agreed upon. The UJF, the Theatre and Media Workers’ Union (Teme) and Service Sector Employers, (Palta), have been in mediation talks at the National Conciliator’s Office since 21 February, when the unions issued their first strike strike notice affecting the film and TV production industry. Industry workers were already on strike on Saturday, 8 March. “We have now achieved an agreement that improves workers’ well-being at work and brings much-deserved pay rises,” says the UFJ’s head of advocacy Petri Savolainen. The most important change affecting working hours is that the number of hours of uninterrupted rest per day will be increased to 11 hours for shift work. Other adjustments will also be made to working hour provisions. In addition, the National Conciliator drafted a working group mandate for the unions, which includes the application of working time provisions and workplace well-being. “Without the National Conciliator, we wouldn't have reached a solution. For this, we thank the Conciliator, Jukka Ahtela, says Savolainen. According to research published just before the negotiations, nearly two-thirds of film and TV industry workers experience mental health problems. Working days in the industry regularly exceed 12 hours, holidays are short and working hours are constantly stretched. The UJF and Teme have been negotiating industry terms and salaries with Palta for the past three months, since mid-December. “Members have been able to directly influence the development of the collective agreement and the content of the well-being at work package during this round as well. Based on a survey we carried out, we formed an understanding of how members believe workplace well-being can be improved, especially in period-based work. These objectives have been incorporated into the new collective agreement,” explains Matleena Kuusela, chairperson of the Union of Film and Media Employees Finland (SET), who took part in the negotiations. Avainsanat: Kansainvälinen UJF