Trade unions in the industrial sector have announced an overtime ban due to an ongoing dispute over pay and conditions. They will also refuse requests to swap shifts if the request comes from management.

The Industrial Union, a trade union that represents employees in Finland's light and heavy industries, announced on Friday that the overtime ban will come into effect from 4 December and will last till 19 December.

The decision was made on Tuesday morning following discussions between worker and employer representatives on a new collective agreement in the sector. The previous agreement expired in November.

The overtime ban, which will affect around 150,000 employees in the industry, will not apply to emergencies or work considered necessary to safeguard people's health or lives.

According to Riku Aalto, Chair of the Industrial Union, the overtime ban will have a significant impact on companies.

"The employment situation is good, but there is a shortage of components. The equipment lacks components and when they become available, assembly often takes place during overtime," he said, pointing out how some units had to shut operations within six hours when an overtime ban was imposed two years ago.

Representatives from the Industrial Union said that the organisation is willing to continue talks with the Technology Industry Employers of Finland, which represents the employers.

However, the Industrial Union has warned it may take stronger industrial action before returning to the negotiating table if its demands are not met.

Tuesday's talks were halted less than two hours after they began, with both parties agreeing to suspend negotiations when representatives couldn't come to an agreement on key issues.

While they were able to agree on a number of matters, the level of proposed pay rises and the length of the collective agreement period were major points of contention.