Finnish union wins ferry strike ruling

The Court of Appeal in London last month backed the Finnish seafarers' union in a dispute with the Viking Line shipping company. The firm is trying to replace a Finnish crew on the ferry Rosella, with a much cheaper Estonian crew.

This is a key ruling as it overturns a previous judgement that the union had no right to take action to block the company's proposals or to improve the pay and conditions of the crew. The company won the earlier case by arguing that it was protected by European Union rights to free movement of goods and services.

The case now goes to the European Court of Justice.