Finnish unions and employers' groups reached a preliminary deal on labour reform early on Monday, the head of a union confederation said, raising hopes for the end of a long dispute that triggered strikes and protests last year. Talks on the changes, which the centre-right government says will boost competitiveness and growth in the struggling economy, went on past midnight, Lauri Lyly, the head of SAK, told Finnish media. The Finnish economy grew 0.4 percent last year after three years of contraction, and is expected to perform worse than any other country in the European Union except Greece this year.