Impact of the political strike on the City of Espoo’s services 2024

Several trade unions in various fields have announced strikes on 13 February and 14 February 2024. We will update the content of the page when the effects on the services of the city of Espoo become more detailed.

Trade unions Super, They and JHL have announced strikes that will take place on 13-14 February. The strikes will affect day care centres, pre-primary education, early childhood education clubs, group family day care, family day care and residents’ parks.

On Tuesday 13 February and Wednesday 14 February, we aim to keep some day care centres open in each service area with reduced opening hours. Our aim is to keep these day care centres open from 8:00 to 16:00. Pre-primary education and shift care (round-the-clock care, evening and weekend care) will not be available during the strikes. However, children in pre-primary education or shift care can attend early childhood education in the day care centres that are open.

Information on the day care centres that will open is going to be available on the city’s website at espoo.fi/en/strike on Monday. Guardians can just take their children to these units without signing up.

The day care centres that are open will comply with the statutory requirements concerning group sizes and staffing. During the strikes, these day care centres will take children as they show up. Places in these day care centres cannot be reserved in advance. If your child’s own day care centre is not open, you can take them to one of those that are open. This also applies to the clients of family day care and group family day care centres.

During the strikes, your child may be cared for by staff who do not know the child. Please give the following information to the staff in writing to ensure safe early childhood education for your child:

• child’s name
• date of birth
• address
• name of the child’s day care centre and group
• guardians’ names and contact information
• child’s allergies, illnesses and other information that the staff should be aware of.

You can also provide this information on a form that you can print.(external link, opens in a new window) You must fill in the form separately for both days if your child attends early childhood education on both days.

Please be prepared to prove your identity when dropping off and picking up your child.

If your child is not going to attend early childhood education during the strikes, enter their absences in the eVaka calendar as soon as possible. If your child is ill, report their sickness absence through eVaka. Pre-arranged days off cannot be changed due to the strikes.

We hope that as many families as possible will be able to keep their child at home during the strikes or arrange the child’s care in some other way. We apologise for the inconvenience.

We will propose to the City Board that early childhood education fees be refunded for those days of absence (with the exception of sick days) during which early childhood education cannot be provided due to the strikes.

Please note that during the strikes, our day care staff will not be able to take care of children’s medication or provide other special support services. Transport services will not be available either.

Meals will be offered at day care centres during the strike, but it will not be possible to cater for special dietary needs. If your child has special dietary needs, please make sure to give them a packed meal with their name on it. The packed meal should not require refrigeration or heating.

Depending on the staffing situation, more day care centres may be opened during the strike if enough staff are available. Please take your child to a Finnish-speaking unit if the child has a place in Finnish-speaking day care, and to a Swedish-speaking unit, if the child has a place in Swedish-speaking daycare.

• Nöykkiönniitty
• Tillinmäki
• Paapuuri
• Saunalahti
• Maininki
• Kippari
• Nöykkiö
• Merenkulkija
• Kaitaanniitty
• Järvitorppa
• Suomenoja (no shift care)
• Lehtikaski
• Pisa
• Yläkartano

• Vanttila
• Palttina
• Koulumestari  
• Nupuri
• Järvenperä  
• Puutarhuri
• Juvanpuisto
• Kalajärvi
• Ymmersta
• Tuomarila
• Lakela
• Kiltakallio
• Suviniitty (no shift care)
• Pikku-Karhu

• Monikko (no shift care)
• Vallipuisto (in Veräjäpellon päiväkoti)              
• Painiitty (both buildings)
• Roosaliina                 
• Perkkaa                     
• Majurinkulma          
• Kartanonpuisto        
• Ruusulinna
• Aurora
• Lippajärvi, building A
• Jupperi
• Lähderanta
• Laaksolahti
• Karamäki
• Kilo
• Kilonpuiston lastentalo
• Kera/Kuninkainen

• Avokas (14.2.)
• Kalamies (14.2.)
• Opinmäki
• Suurpelto
• Kuutamo (no shift care)
• Aamunkoitto
• Kuunsäde
• Friisilä
• Lystimäki
• Olari
• Kala-Maija
• Matinniitty
• Matinraitti
• Matinkylä
• Tiistilänraitti
• Nuottakunta
• Nokkalanpuisto

• Haukilahti
• Kivimies
• Pohjois-Tapiola
• Silkkiniitty (no shift care)
• Mankkaa
• Metsola
• Niittykumpu

• Storängens daghem
• Westends daghem
• Vindängens daghem
• Finno daghem
• Mattbergets daghem
• Kungsgårds daghem, main building, Hans Westerlundsväg 6
• Alberga daghem (no shiftcare)
• Lagstads daghem
• Fågelsångens daghem
• Portängens daghem

Residents’ parks and clubs will be closed during the strike. Residents’ parks will not provide activities or snacks for schoolchildren. Evening bookings at residents’ parks have been cancelled during the strikes.

Pre-primary education will not be provided during the strikes on 13 February and 14 February 2024 because our schools’ pre-primary education staff include individuals who will be on strike.

Children in pre-primary education can attend early childhood education in any of those day care centres that are open if they have a decision on early childhood education. If the child only attends pre-primary education, they cannot be taken to a day care centre during the strike.

Information on the day care centres that are open is available on the city’s website at espoo.fi/en/strike. Guardians can just take their children to these units without signing up.

The day care centres that are open will comply with the statutory requirements concerning group sizes and staffing. During the strikes, these day care centres will take children as they show up. Places in these day care centres cannot be reserved in advance. If your child’s own day care centre is not open, you can take them to one of those that are open. This also applies to the clients of family day care and group family day care centres.

During the strikes, your child may be cared for by staff who do not know the child. Please give the following information to the staff in writing to ensure safe early childhood education for your child:

• child’s name
• date of birth
• address
• name of the child’s day care centre and group
• guardians’ names and contact information
• child’s allergies, illnesses and other information that the staff should be aware of.

You can also provide this information on a form that you can print(external link, opens in a new window). You must fill in the form separately for both days if your child attends early childhood education on both days.

Please be prepared to prove your identity when dropping off and picking up your child.

If your child is not going to attend early childhood education connected to pre-primary education during the strikes, enter their absences in the eVaka calendar as soon as possible. If your child is ill, report their sickness absence through eVaka. Pre-arranged days off cannot be changed due to the strikes.

We hope that as many families as possible will be able to keep their child at home during the strikes or arrange the child’s care in some other way. We apologise for the inconvenience.

We will propose to the City Board that early childhood education fees be refunded for those days of absence (with the exception of sick days) during which early childhood education cannot be provided due to the strikes.

Please note that during the strikes, our day care staff will not be able to take care of children’s medication or provide other special support services. Transport services will not be available either.

For safety reasons, guardians are asked to reserve a meal that can be kept warm for children and young people following a special diet. During the strike, we offer a cold breakfast, a cold snack-type lunch or warm porridge, depending on the employee's situation. As a meal, we offer e.g. a smoothie, bread, cold cuts and a food drink. Children can also take their own meal that can be kept warm. The strike causes changes to the menu for weeks 7 and 8, also due to other simultaneous strikes.

Depending on the staffing situation, more day care centres may be opened during the strike if enough staff are available. You can find an up-to-date list of the day care centres that are open on the city’s website at espoo.fi/en/strike.

Basic education will be provided in accordance with the normal schedules in spite of the potential strikes. If a pupil has to stay at home, the guardian has to submit an absence notification through Wilma. Guardians must also make sure that the pupils are able to attend possible entrance examinations.

Our aim is to organise afternoon activities for pupils and morning and afternoon activities for children with intellectual disabilities and autism as usual, but some changes may take place. During the strikes, residents’ parks will be closed and will not provide activities or snacks for schoolchildren.

There may be changes in pupil welfare services.

For safety reasons, guardians are asked to reserve a meal that can be kept warm for children and young people following a special diet. During the strike, we offer a cold breakfast, a cold snack-type lunch or warm porridge, depending on the employee's situation. As a meal, we offer e.g. a smoothie, bread, cold cuts and a food drink. Pupils can also take own meal that can be kept warm. The strike causes changes to the menu for weeks 7 and 8, also due to other simultaneous strikes.

During the strike, catering services will be provided as usual at the following schools, but there may be changes in the menus: Aarnivalkean koulu, Karamalmens skola, Kilon koulu, Laajalahden koulu, Mankkaanpuron koulu, Smedsby skola, Taavinkylän koulu, Vindängens skola, Kilonpuiston koulu, Mankkaan koulu, Pohjois-Tapiolan koulu, Tiistilän koulu (grades 7–9) and Rinnekodin koulu. 

The strikes may also affect cleaning and lobby services at schools. In addition, there may not be staff available to plough snow or spread grit in yard areas.

The strikes may affect pupils who travel to school by public transport. We ask guardians to follow HSL news for more information. Replacement transport services will not be organised. School taxis and charter buses that take pupils to temporary school premises will run as usual. There may, however, be some exceptions.

General upper secondary schools will provide contact teaching during the strikes.

For safety's sake, students following a special diet must take their own meal that can be kept warm. A cold, snack-type lunch will be offered. Students can also take their own lunch that can be kept warm. The strike causes changes to the menu for weeks 7 and 8, also due to other simultaneous strikes.

During the strike, catering services will be provided as usual at the following schools, but there may be changes in the menus: Otaniemen lukio, Kuninkaantien lukio, Leppävaaran lukio and Espoon yhteislyseo. 

The strikes may also affect cleaning and lobby services at schools. In addition, there may not be staff available to plough snow or spread grit in yard areas.

The strikes may also affect students who travel to school by public transport. Replacement transport services will not be organised.

Youth centres and Ohjaamotalo should be open as usual, but the strikes may affect their opening hours.