Finnish general strike of 1956

[2] One of the candidates was then-Prime Minister Urho Kekkonen, who didn't want to risk losing the presidential electoral college vote by accepting the SAK's proposal.

On February 16, the SAK's leadership decided to go forth and launch a general strike.

Following the fall-through of emergency negotiations between the SAK and then Speaker of the Parliament Karl-August Fagerholm, the industrial action was started at 06:00 on March 1,[3] the day President Urho Kekkonen assumed office for his first term.

The general strike, which concluded on 20 March, resulted in a nationwide wage increase of 6–10 percent.

[4] The general strike intensified the internal conflicts of the Social Democratic Party and resulted in a leftist faction centred around Emil Skog leaving the party shortly after.