The office of Esa Lonka, the Finnish government's labour market conciliator, said late on Sunday that talks between the Transport Workers' Union (AKT) and the port operators to end a stevedore strike would resume on Tuesday.

The key sticking point is job security, with the Port Operators' Association saying the AKT has demanded 12 months' severance pay.

The union says its aim is a system to improve the re-employmentchances of workers made redundant.

About 3,000 dockers went on strike Thursday last week, crippling the country's foreign trade.

STT