Strike to Hit Output, Delivery From Neste Oil Refinery in Finland

A planned two-day strike action by Finnish industrial workers early next month will hit output and supply from Neste's (NESTE.HE) oil refinery in Finland, labour union and company officials told Reuters on Wednesday.

"No finished product will come out, petrol, diesel and the others that we make here," union representative Sami Ryynanen at Neste's Porvoo refinery said.

The strike could affect output for up to a week as production must gradually be reduced ahead of time and then ramped up afterwards, Ryynanen said.

A company spokesperson said Neste plans to reduce activity at Porvoo and operate the facility in "a safe state" for the duration of the Feb. 1-2 strike and that deliveries by road, rail and sea would be halted.

It was not immediately clear how much output would be affected.

Finnish labour unions have protested in recent months against the right-wing government's plan to favour local work agreements over centralised bargains, limit political strikes and make it easier to terminate work contracts.

"People are worried about their everyday life, we see no other option but to go on strike to impact the government policy," Ryynanen said.

Several other unions from service industries to paper and logistics workers have also announced strikes.

Flag carrier Finnair (FIA1S.HE) last week said it would cancel many flights as a result of the strike.

The Porvoo refinery processes around 10 million tonnes of crude oil annually.

(Reporting by Essi Lehto; Editing by Terje Solsvik)