A new deal consisting of five business-specific agreements has brought to an end the protracted strike at UPM’s Finnish paper mills.

The agreements with the Paperworkers’ Union are based on proposals by an arbitrator after negotiations had been suspended last week, and replace an old industry agreement dating to the 1940s.

In a statement, UPM announced that “the strike at mills in Finland will end immediately and employees will return to work”, with customer deliveries to restart “as soon as possible”.

The strike had been extended on several occasions, most recently until May 14, and had affected about 2000 employees.

UPM – which had wanted a separate agreement for each of its five business units, while Paperiliitto sought a uniform agreement – was “very pleased”.

UPM human resources executive vice president Riitta Savonlahti said the company and the union had “made history together” by agreeing on five business-specific collective labour agreements, which replace the paper industry´s old agreement.

UPM says the new agreements are for four years, with revisions to be negotiated two years into the agreement.