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High Court's decision improves the status of agency labour

Helsinki (25.01.2012 - Juhani Artto) On Tuesday the High Court made a decision that clearly improves the status of agency labour, says Katarina Murto, a bargaining expert at the union confederation SAK. The decision rejects the legality of the common practice of manpower agencies to make fixed-term employment agreements based on open-ended assignments procured from user companies. The High Court decision upholds the principle, written into the legislation, that fixed-term employment agreements can be made only in cases where the employee is needed only for a certain or specific period of time. In the case, now settled by the High Court, the need was deemed to be open-ended at the moment the employment agreement was signed.

Minister sees good employment prospects for municipal employees

JHL (23.01.2012 - Juhani Artto) There are plenty of job opportunities, now and especially in the future, in the municipal sector. This is the core message of Henna Virkkunen, the Minister of Public Administration and Local Government, in her interview with Motiivi, the magazine of the Trade Union for the Public and Welfare Sectors JHL. A third of the current municipal personnel will retire by 2020 and with the population ageing rapidly this clearly makes for more demand in terms of health and social services, she argues. With this assurance Virkkunen wants to allay any fears municipal employees may have towards the profound restructuring of the network of municipalities now underway by the government of Prime Minister Jyrki Katainen.

Journalists appreciate open, reliable and reachable labour market leaders

Helsinki (20.01.2012 - Juhani Artto) What kind of experiences have journalists had, in the course of their work, when dealing with unions and their leaders? And what kind of qualities do journalists appreciate when working with union representatives? A recent survey throws some light on these matters. The replies from 178 journalists, working at various levels and in various sectors of media organizations, leave no doubt as to what journalists appreciate when it comes to the unions' engagement with the media. The most important qualities are -in this order- promptness, openness, reliability, availability, willingness to engage, and being up-to-date with the issues at hand.

"Shortage" of low-paid part-time workers
(20.01.2012 - link to the web site of Service Union United PAM)

SASK has multiplied its reach during its first 25 years of action

Helsinki (17.01.2012 - Juhani Artto) The Trade Union Solidarity Centre of Finland SASK recently celebrated its 25th anniversary. I believe that it is safe to say that the organization has far exceeded the expectations of the some 40 union representatives who participated in the founding meeting of SASK on 5 November 1986. A short summary of SASK's development demonstrates why such a claim is justified. Its work has significantly expanded and developed when measured by all essential criteria.

JHL wins landmark case in relation to fixed-term employment

JHL (12.01.2012 - Juhani Artto) The Supreme Court ruled in favour of the Trade Union for the Public and Welfare Sectors (JHL) in a highly significant case on Wednesday. The dispute concerned the use of fixed-term employment in a job that was financed by the EU's Structural Fund appropriations that were allocated annually to the employer. According to the Supreme Court, this form of financing does not justify the use of fixed-term employment contracts when the tasks involved were of a continuous nature.

Presidential elections in Finland:
Campaign paraphernalia are mostly made in Far East

Helsinki (05.01.2012 - Heikki Jokinen) Almost all of the eight candidates in the Finnish presidential elections, which will take place on January 22nd 2012, have ordered their campaign gift products from abroad, reports the Industrial Union TEAM. The campaign pins, mugs, t-shirts, scarves, chocolate and other products are mainly made in the Far East or in some cases in the other European countries, TEAM discovered. Print work is more often than not done in Finland. The chairman of TEAM Timo Vallittu reminds us that employment in Finland is to a large extent determined by the purchasing decisions of individuals and organisations. "Small decisions have a major impact on employment. Business gifts employ especially small companies and are labour-intensive."

Disruption to electricity supply underline vital need
for skilled electricians and lumberjacks

Helsinki (02.01.2011 - Juhani Artto) After Boxing Day there has been an urgent demand for skilled lumberjacks and electricians. The demand was created by the storms Finland experienced on Boxing Day and in the days following. The storms were exceptionally strong for this Northern European country, and knocked down, according to first estimates, some 3.5 million cubic meters of trees. The economic loss for forest owners is estimated to be tens of millions of euros but the day-long cuts in electricity supply has been the main focus in the public domain. When things were at their worst almost 300,000 homes and other customers were left without electricity. Tens of thousands of customers had to live without electricity for several days, which is exceptional in Finland. One week after Boxing Day still about 10,000 homes suffered of the broken electricity lines.

Economists at the Finnish union confederations say:
The European Central Bank has to play a central role
in solving the euro crisis

Helsinki (30.12.2011 - Juhani Artto) Economists for the three Finnish union confederations (Akava, SAK and STTK) published a discussion paper on the euro crisis one month ago. The 11-page paper examines and analyses the root causes of the present crisis and includes several proposals on how to get out of it. The economists stress the need to safeguard the solvency of the crisis states and also the need to recapitalise European banks in general. They consider that the new stability instruments, the EFSF and ESM, are not sufficiently extensive. However, for economic and political reasons they cannot be expanded through national budgets. "The only operational alternative that remains, is to increase the role of the ECB", the economists conclude.

Workers' gender pay gap narrowed in the industrial sector

Helsinki (29.12.2011 - Juhani Artto) In the second quarter 2011 the average wages for female workers in Finnish industry were 84.9 per cent of average wages for male workers. In one year the gap has slightly narrowed but it was marginally larger than in the fourth quarter 2006. In the second quarter 2002 the corresponding figure was 80.5 per cent.

Purchasing power of wage and salary earners will increase in 2012

Helsinki (28.12.2011 - Juhani Artto) In Finland talk on the economy in the media has in recent months been very pessimistic despite the fact that purchasing power for wage and salary earners is expected to grow in 2012. The constant pessimistic utterances coming from experts have succeeded in undermining people's confidence in their own economic and financial viability to such an extent that it echoes autumn 2008 when recession badly hit European economies. These gloomy sentiments ignore the prognosis published by the Taxpayers' Association of Finland (TAF) earlier in December. TAF estimates that wages and salaries will increase on average by 3.4 per cent, whereas prices are predicted to rise by 2.6 per cent. As taxes will slightly increase the real value of wages and salaries will improve on average of 0.6 per cent.

JHL campaigns for equal rights to people in atypical employment

JHL (27.12.2011 - Juhani Artto) The Trade Union for the Public and Welfare Sectors JHL began in May 2011 a campaign for equal rights to people in atypical jobs. The campaign has chartered its way forward in various forms and in many kind of events. Just before to Christmas the 2011 campaign reached its climax when a 5-meter long scarf was presented to Lauri Ihalainen, the Minister of Labour and former President of the largest union confederation SAK. The scarf was knitted during those events by hundreds of people, each contributing a small section. Even Tarja Halonen, the President of the Republic, participated in this knitting-project in support of atypically employed people's rights.

Many municipalities plan to recall work that has been outsourced

JHL (14.12.2011 - Juhani Artto) Many municipalities and joint authorities (set up by two or more local authorities to tend to specific tasks on a permanent basis) are disappointed with the results of outsourcing. And the dissatisfaction is so great that up to a fifth of these public organizations plan to take back outsourced work so that it can be done once again by their own personnel. This is one of the major findings from the latest questionnaire directed at JHL (Trade Union for the Public and Welfare Sectors) shop stewards in local and joint authorities.

Disability a hindrance also to the labour market
(12.12.2011 - link to the web site of Nordic Labour Journal)

Tax number crackdown on of-the-books builders
(12.12.2011 - link to the web site of Yle News)

A third of construction workers in Helsinki region are from abroad
(09.12.2011 - link to the web site of Helsingin Sanomat)

Foreign companies have 215 000 employees in Finland

Helsinki (09.12.2011 - Juhani Artto) Last year, the almost 3,000 affiliates of foreign companies in Finland employed 215,000 men and women. This adds up to15 per cent of all company personnel in the country. The share of turnover was even higher, 20 per cent. Affiliates of Swedish companies employed over 70,000 persons, U.S. companies over 20,000 and both UK and German companies slightly below 20,000. Foreign-owned manufacturing units had some 65,000 employees, wholesale and retail trade over 40,000. The third largest sector with its 20,000 employees was information and communication. - Source: The turnover of foreign affiliates grew in 2010, Statistics Finland 25.11.2011

Polish Elektrobudowa re-employs the electricians it sacked arbitrarily

Helsinki (07.12.2011 - Juhani Artto) The Electrical Workers' Union announced on Friday that it has settled the dispute concerning the arbitrary sacking of dozens of organized Polish electricians at the Olkiluoto nuclear power plant construction site. The Polish company Elektrobudowa SA has committed itself to re-employing all of the electricians it sacked in mid-November. However, their jobs will not be in Finland but in Poland. Their status will improve nonetheless, as they will now have permanent employment relations as opposed to the temporary arrangement they had in Finland.

Disparity in life expectancy between income quintiles has increased alarmingly

Helsinki (05.12.2011 - Juhani Artto) The life expectancy increased from 1988 to 2007 in all income quintiles except for the lowest one which has effectively been stagnant since the early 1990s. These trends have led to an alarming disparity in life expectancy between the highest and the lowest quintiles. At the age of 35, the disparity widened from 7.4 to 12.5 years among men and from 3.9 to 6.8 years among women. This is the major finding of a new study made at the University of Helsinki. There was less of an increase in disparity between occupational social classes and no stagnation among manual workers was observed. - Click below to view the article on the study in Lääkärilehti: Tarkiainen-Martikainen-Laaksonen-Valkonen, Tuloluokkien väliset erot elinajanodotteessa ovat kasvaneet vuosina 1988–2007; the English language summary on page 8/8

Rapid government involvement has alleviated unemployment
in areas of "abrupt structural change"

Helsinki (30.11.2011 - Juhani Artto) Since 2007 the governments have reacted to abrupt structural changes with a certain set of measures designed to mitigate the rise in unemployment. A new study* indicates that the method has had a positive impact. Unemployment has clearly risen after all the redundancies and closure of factories but gradually, as a result of the measures adopted, the development has begun to follow the direction of other parts of the country, the researchers conclude. Since 2007 altogether 22 areas, as well as the maritime industry, have been entitled to receive assistance as "areas of abrupt structural change". In almost five years governments have directed EUR 220 million for this purpose.

Finnish pulp, paper unions make gains
in 2012-2014 industry-wide pacts
(29.11.2011 - link to the web site of ICEM)

The framework agreement will regulate working conditions
of 94 per cent of wage and salaries earners for next two years

Helsinki (28.11.2011 - Juhani Artto) Early on Monday morning the last obstacle on the road to the acceptance of a new labour market framework agreement was overcome. Then the trade union of transport drivers and port workers AKT and its employer counterpart agreed on details on how to apply the framework agreement, approved in October by the labour market confederations. And so, the same morning these various confederations concluded that support for the agreement is broad enough to take effect. At noon the government announced that it had come to the same conclusion. This means that all public sector employees and 91 per cent of the private sector employees are now covered for the next two years (or 25 months) by the regulations agreed upon in the framework agreement. - Read also: The 25-month agreement between labour market confederations will raise wage and salary earners' purchasing power (14.10.2011)

Financial sector agreement applies the framework agreement

Pro (25.11.2011 - Juhani Artto) Financial sector bargaining has ended satisfactorily with agreements this Tuesday that apply the framework agreement signed in mid-October by the labour market confederations. This means that the strike, due to begin on Wednesday morning, and the retaliatory lockout threatened by the employers, will now not go ahead. And the overtime ban has been lifted to take immediate effect. The agreements cover some 23,000 employees, working at banks and other financial industry work places. They take effect retroactively from November 1 this year and expire on 30 November 2013.

State employees will get pay rises on basis of framework agreement

JHL (23.11.2011 - Juhani Artto) The new state employees' collective agreement follows the pattern outlined in the framework agreement, signed in October by labour market confederations. The agreement takes effect on 1 March 2012 and expires on 31 March 2014. Wages and salaries of all employees, covered by the agreement, will be raised on 1 March 2012 by 1.9 per cent. However, the rise has to be at least EUR 39.50 per month. In March all will also receive a EUR 150 lump sum. A further pay rise of 1.4 per cent for wage and salary earners, working for the state, kicks in on 1 April 2013. On 1 March 2012 and on 1 March 2013 wages and salaries will be raised on average by 0.5 per cent on the basis of the outcome of local negotiations.

Municipal employees' new collective agreement applies
the framework agreement

JHL (23.11.2011 - Juhani Artto) Negotiators on the new collective agreement for some 350,000 municipal employees reached common understanding on Wednesday. The end result applies the framework agreement, signed in mid-October by the labour market confederations.
The municipal sector agreement takes effect on 1 January 2012 and expires on 28 February 2014. The cost impact of the first 13 months will be 2.4 per cent. On 1 January 2012 all municipal employees will get a pay rise of 1.7 per cent. The remaining 0.7 per cent of the pay increase will be used for financing the qualitative changes in the agreement. These changes include, among other things, six days of paid paternity leave and the scrapping of regulations that have discriminated against temporary employees with regard to their annual leave rights. A EUR 150 lump sum will be paid in January 2012.

Polish company sacks dozens of organized electricians
from the Olkiluoto nuclear power plant construction site

Helsinki (18.11.2011 - Juhani Artto) The Polish company Elektrobudowa Spolka Akcyjna has given notice to 32 Polish electricians at the Olkiluoto nuclear power plant construction site. Most of the sacked workers are rank and file members of the Finnish Electrical Workers' Union. According to Finnish unions, the company has let it be known that it will also dismiss the remaining organized Polish electricians by the end of the year. At the end of October 190 Elektrobudowa SA's employees were rank and file members of the Finnish Electrical Workers' Union. The company has around 360 employees altogether at the Olkiluoto construction site.
Among the sacked electricians were many who earlier this year sued the company for unpaid salaries.

How do the unions handle the new debate on salary gaps?
(13.11.2011 - link to the web site of Nordic Labour Journal)

Minister of Labour Lauri Ihalainen:
Improved competence will safeguard Finland’s future
(11.11.2011 - link to the web site of Nordic Labour Journal)

Tight schedules speed up negotiations on how to apply the framework agreement

JHL (10.11.2011 - Juhani Artto) This is a hectic time for the people involved in the collective bargaining process at the Trade Union for the Public and Welfare Sectors JHL. The deadlines to complete negotiations on how to apply the framework agreement, signed by the labour market confederations on October 13, are fast approaching. The goal is to have new agreements ready in all sectors, represented by JHL, by November 24. All other unions that have approved the framework agreement as their bargaining starting point face the same challenge. The following day the labour market confederations will meet and conclude whether the framework agreement has been approved broadly enough or not. The agreement will take effect only if the approval rate is regarded as representative. If such a conclusion cannot be made, the agreement will not bind the government to honour its commitments i.e. keep its part of the bargain, and the entire framework agreement will not take effect.

Strike threat in the financial sector: Employers have not been ready to negotiate on the basis of the framework agreement

PRO (09.11.2011) Almost 3,000 bank employees will strike from 6 a.m. on November 23 until midnight on November 30, unless the collective bargaining leads to an agreement prior to that. The threatened strike action has been announced by the salaried employees' trade union Pro and the bargaining organization of the senior salaried employees YTN. The overtime ban, declared on Monday, is to continue and affects the entire financial sector. The parties have been negotiating a new agreement since early September. According to Pro's President, Antti Rinne, the disagreements concern both salaries and qualitative regulations on working conditions. Unlike employers in most other industries, financial sector employers have not been willing to negotiate on the basis of the framework agreement, signed in October by the labour market confederations.

Introduction of stock options and low taxation on capital incomes have caused a swift and sharp widening of the income gap

Helsinki (09.11.2011 - Timo-Erkki Heino) For a long time after World War II and up until the mid-1990s Finland was often described as "a moderate society". But then came an abrupt change. Income inequalities, which had slowly been diminishing during this period, started to increase rapidly. The roots for this income divide can be traced back to two decisions taken during the early 1990s' recession and banking crisis. In 1993 the centre-right government introduced the so-called dual income taxation. This meant that earned income, wages and salaries, continued to be taxed progressively, which for top earners was rather high. However, capital income, i.e. income from stock or share dividends and capital gains etc., were taxed at a very low flat tax rate of 25 per cent. The second reason for the mid-1990s' great divide was the introduction of stock options as compensation or bonuses for CEOs and top management in Finnish companies, in keeping with practises elsewhere around the world.

YTN technology industry news: A fair solution
(07.11.2011 - link to the web site of Akava)

International support for striking managerial staff
in technology industry

Helsinki (05.11.2011 - Juhani Artto) The striking managerial staff in the Finnish technology industry has received support from the International Metalworkers' Federation IMF and the European Metalworkers' Federation EMF. In its message to the trade unions that represent the 10,000 strikers IMF states: "The IMF fully supports your demands for same wage increases that were achieved a week ago in collective bargaining negotiations for other workers in the Finnish technology industry. Employers cannot unilaterally decide at the local level who gets wage increases. Compensation pay for salaried workers when travelling outside of working hours is fair and justified."

A new study on OECD countries:
"The decline in the labour share is highly likely due, at least partly, to the weakened bargaining power of labour"
Helsinki (05.11.2011) "According to the results presented in this paper, it is clear that there has been a trend-like decline in the labour share in most major OECD countries at an unchanged rate of unemployment", Pekka Sauramo writes in a new study, published recently by the Labour Institute for Economic Research. "The interpretation of this kind of decline is not straightforward, but it is highly likely due, at least partly, to the weakened bargaining power of labour", Sauramo concludes. - Read the entire study: (a 29-page pdf-file): The relationship between labour share and unemployment: the role of wage-setting institutions.

"No more pay for women this year"

Helsinki (27.10.2011 - Juhani Artto) On 26 October the union confederation STTK drew attention once again to how slowly the gender pay gap is being narrowed and how much still remains to be done to eliminate it. The timing for this reminder was not chosen randomly but consciously. On 26 October 82 per cent of this year had passed and in Finland, on average, women earn 82 per cent of men's wages and salaries. And so STTK decided it was an opportune moment to generate a bit of publicity for a worthy cause by declaring on 26 October "no more pay for women this year". Media publicity was guaranteed.

JHL's new President criticizes the British concept of "Big Society"

JHL (27.10.2011 - Juhani Artto) "The Big Society seems to have small services", JHL's new President Jarkko Eloranta concludes in his column in JHL's magazine Motiivi. The Big Society Eloranta refers to is the slogan chosen by the British Prime Minister David Cameron and his Conservative Party. "The empowerment of communities and individuals sounds very positive, providing a veneer of idealism to the Big Society concept ", Eloranta writes. "But, in reality what really lies behind the Big Society idea concerns the economy: the need and especially the desire to cut taxes which will inevitably result in cuts to public services and social welfare."

Finnish metal strike over
(25.10.2011 - link to the web site of IMF)

STTK: The framework agreement will improve employees’ security
amidst changes in working life A summary of the framework agreement

STTK (24.10.2011) The framework agreement, signed by the labour market confederations, includes a framework for pay rises and measures aimed at improving the quality of working life. The goal of the agreement is to increase the purchasing power of salaried and wage earners, to enhance employment while at the same time adding an element of predictability, and thus stability, to the economy. The board of the union confederation STTK approved the framework agreement unanimously on October 13.

Strike begins in the technology industry:
Both unions and employers turned down the proposal of the National Conciliator

Helsinki (21.10.2011 - Juhani Artto) About 30,000 salaried and wage employees at 37 technology industry companies began a strike 6 a.m. on Friday. The proposal put forward by the National Conciliator, Esa Lonka, was rejected by both the employers and the three unions representing the employees. The unions involved in the dispute are the private sector salaried employees' union Pro, the Metalworkers' Union and the Electrical Workers' Union. The major stumbling block was the pay structure presented by the National Conciliator. The Metalworkers' Union wants a solution whereby a large part of the pay rise awards translate as equal amounts of cents for all with the locally negotiable share of the pay rises remaining minimal. In his statement Pro's President Antti Rinne says that the proposal did not guarantee equal minimum pay rises to all and that too large a share of the pay rises was left at the employers discretion.

Pro now negotiates on how to apply the framework agreement
signed by the labour market confederations

Pro (18.10.2011 - Juhani Artto) On Saturday Pro and the Metalworkers' Union approved the framework agreement, signed by the labour market confederations, as the framework for their collective bargaining in various industries. If these two unions, representing employees in the technology industry - the largest export sector in Finland - had turned down the framework agreement, the entire agreement would have collapsed. In the Metalworkers' Union 38 delegates voted for approval of the framework agreement, and 12 delegates voted against it. Bargaining in the technology industry continued on Monday. The National Conciliator is involved in efforts to resolve disagreements. The overtime ban, announced by the concerned union organizations is still in effect and covers the entire technology industry. The schedule for these negotiations is very tight.

The 25-month agreement between labour market confederations will raise wage and salary earners' purchasing power

Helsinki (14.10.2011 - Juhani Artto) For the first time in four years the labour market confederations agreed on Thursday to a centralized collective agreement. Economists belonging to the confederations expect the 25-month agreement to slightly improve the purchasing power of wage and salary earners. The agreement includes two pay rises (2.4 per cent and 1.9 per cent), a EUR 150 lump sum and several changes in working life regulations. In addition, the government has promised to make the agreement more attractive by tax cuts for both employees and companies together with a few other measures. So now, the ultimate fate of the agreement rests with the unions and respective employer organizations. The agreement will not come into effect unless a substantial proportion of the national unions and their opposite numbers from the employer organizations can agree on sector based collective agreements, respecting the framework set up by the confederations.

Government's proposal threatens to cut already low wages
by hundreds of euros at Defence Forces' catering services

JHL (12.10.2011 - Juhani Artto) Wages for the Defence Forces' catering services will shrink by anything between EUR200 to EUR400 per month, if the government's proposal is approved by Parliament. This is totally unacceptable and contradicts the government's own programme, says the Trade Union for the Public and Welfare Services JHL. Parliament is due to make the final decision on the matter in December.

Disagreement on pay rises brings to an end confederation level collective bargaining

Helsinki (05.10.2011 - Juhani Artto) Negotiations for a comprehensive income policy agreement ended on Tuesday after failure to reach agreement on pay rises. The two employer confederations (Confederation of Finnish Industries EK and Local Government Employers KT) offered 2.4 per cent for the first 13 months and 1.9 per cent for the following 12 months. The union confederations SAK and STTK turned down the proposal as too low. The third union confederation Akava would have liked to continue the bargaining process and wait and see what kind of tax cuts Prime Minister Jyrki Katainen would promise to smoothen the path towards a confederation level agreement.

Pro and Metalworkers' Union and Electrical Workers' Union issue warning of strike action

Helsinki (05.10.2011 - Juhani Artto) The trade union of private sector salaried employees Pro, the Metalworkers' Union and the Electrical Workers' Union announced on Tuesday of their intention to go on strike at 44 companies in the technology industry. Over 32,000 salaried and wage employees will take part in the strike from 21 October to 7 November if the parties fail to reach new collective agreements.

Rautaruukki subcontractor ordered to pay Polish workers thousands of euros in back wages
(04.10.2011 - link to the web site of Helsingin Sanomat)

Union: Embassies exploit workers
(04.10.2011 - link to the web site of Yle News)

Government tries to implement zero tolerance policy towards
youth unemployment

Helsinki (30.09.2011 - Juhani Artto) The Finnish six-party coalition government is taking an ambitious stance towards youth unemployment. The goal is to get rid of it! This has been clearly outlined in the government programme and its implementation was launched last Monday, when the "youth social guarantee" task force was officially named and given wings.
The promise or guarantee is to offer every young person below 25 years of age and every recent graduate below 30 years of age, either a job, place to study, apprenticeship or rehabilitation. And the aim is for this to happen within three months from the beginning of the unemployment. The system should be functioning properly and smoothly by 2013.

Unions oppose cuts to job alternation leave compensation

Helsinki (28.09.2011 - Juhani Artto) All three Finnish union confederations - Akava, SAK and STTK - oppose the government's plan to cut compensation to employees who opt for job alternation leave. The government intends to cut the alternation leave compensation by 10 to 20 per cent from its present level. Employees on job alternation leave are entitled to compensation of anything between 70 - 80 per cent of unemployment benefit. The confederations are afraid that the planned cuts to compensation would make it difficult, especially for employees in low-pay jobs, to make use of the system of job alternation leave. The proposal made by the government would mean a saving in government expenditure of approximately EUR7.5 million. - Read more: Job alternation leave, Guide to working in Finland

General applicability of sectoral collective agreements in Finland
- A presentation by SAK's expert Jari Hellsten
(27.09.2011 - link to the web site of WSI)

Electrical workers' union puts in court claims for millions of euros
in respect of 115 Polish electricians

Helsinki (26.09.2011 - Juhani Artto) The Finnish Electrical workers' union is suing the Polish company Elektrobudowa for unpaid wages, overtime compensation and holiday pay and unpaid compensation for expenses. The claim amounts to over EUR2.7 million which has accrued from January 2009 to May 2011 at the construction site of the Olkiluoto nuclear power plant. The claim concerns 115 Polish electricians who have joined the Finnish union.

Prayer ban in break room not discrimination
(23.09.2011 - link to the web site of Yle News)

Polish workers at Olkiluoto earning slave wages
(23.09.2011 - link to the web site of Yle News)

Jarkko Eloranta elected unanimously as JHL's new President

JHL (23.09.2011 - Juhani Artto) Jarkko Eloranta, 45, is the new President of the Trade Union for the Public and Welfare Sectors JHL. He was elected on Thursday at an extraordinary meeting of the Union Council. The election was unanimous. The post became vacant when the long-time President, Tuire Santamäki-Vuori, was appointed Secretary of State to the Minister of Finance, Jutta Urpilainen. Eloranta had been JHL's Vice-President since 2007. His term as president will continue until June 2012. Then the Union Council - to be elected by ballot in March 2012 - will face the task of electing the top leaders of the union.

Nokia pays most of its employees in India well below a living wage

Helsinki (19.09.2011 - Juhani Artto) What does one do if the wage for full-time employment is not enough to cover the living costs of even a small family? This is an urgent question in Sriperumbudur in Southern India where Nokia and its subcontractors employ tens of thousands of workers in the manufacturing of mobile phones and related jobs. Nokia's contract workers and trainees are paid no more than EUR70 per month. At the two Foxconn factories they receive EUR80 per month. Contract workers' and trainees' wages at Flextronics and Salcomp are approximately on a par with the other two. It is not unimportant how much contract workers and trainees are paid as a majority of employees belong to these categories. Among Nokia's personnel they make up slightly less than half of all employees but a clear majority at Foxconn, Salcomp and Flextronics.

Joint bargaining effort by wage and salary earners' union organizations in the technology industry

Helsinki (16.09.2011 - Juhani Artto) Three union organizations, representing some 250,000 wage and salary earners in the technology industry, have agreed on common goals and pledged to act in unison during this current round of collective bargaining. This move is nothing short of historic as it is the first time that these separate employee groups have sought to combine forces in this way. The three organizations in question are the Metalworkers' Union, the salaried employees union Pro and the bargaining organization of senior salaried employees YTN. They are aiming at a one and a half year agreement during which there would be a two-stage pay rise. The first of these would mean an increase of EUR0.67 per hour or EUR110 per month. For employees in the higher pay bracket the rise should be at least 4 per cent.

Finland hunts for a new salary model
(07.09.2011 - link to the web site of Nordic Labour Journal)

Binding regulations are needed on human resources
in old people's care

JHL (01.09.2011 - Juhani Artto) An act on how to ensure that elderly people get the care they need is under preparation. A draft was finalized back in the spring but it was not sent to the Parliament prior to the Parliamentary elections held in April. The new government promises in its programme to bring its proposed law before the new Parliament. However, it will not be the draft from last spring as Maria Guzenina-Richardson, the Minister of Health and Social Services wants changes to the draft.
Discussion on how to develop the draft is now going on. Teija Asara-Laaksonen, the 2. Vice President of the JHL, mentions two elements lacking from the draft. According to her the act should include binding regulations on the minimum size of human resources in the open services and on the self-determination of the elderly people in question.

Mass redundancies and scare tactics colour
the start of the new round of collective bargaining

Helsinki (01.09.2011 - Juhani Artto) The summer vacations are now over and labour market organizations are sharpening their weapons for the new round of collective bargaining. Naturally, the employers are trying to take advantage of the uncertain economic outlook by painting the future with dark colours and more ominously by also announcing drastic redundancies. On the other side of the battlefield trade unions are doing their utmost to encourage their rank and file members by drawing on data that throw serious doubt on the signals being sent out by employers.

Economic forecast 2011-2012  
(30.08.2011 - link to the web site of Labour Institute for Economic Research)

JHL to elect its new President by the end of September

JHL (30.08.2011 - Juhani Artto) The Trade Union for the Public and Welfare Sectors JHL will get a new President at the end of September, when the Union Council will hold an extraordinary meeting for this purpose. The term of the new President will last until June 2012 when the new Union Council will elect the President for a five-year term. The current President Tuire Santamäki-Vuori has been appointed Secretary of State to the Minister of Finance and will take up her duties as the highest official below the minister on September 1. Santamäki-Vuori announced in May that she would not be seeking re-election for a new term as President of the JHL.
 
Labour market confederations search for a framework for collective bargaining in various industries

Helsinki (29.08.2011 - Juhani Artto) The employer stronghold, the Confederation of Finnish Industries EK announced on Thursday that its goal is to reach in the export industry "a responsible agreement that shows the direction for collective bargaining in other industries". Union federations were quick to turn down this proposal. Akava's President Sture Fjäder pointed out that EK is not in a position to dictate or impose public sector solutions, as it is not even one of the organizations that participate in public sector bargaining. SAK's President Lauri Lyly also rejected EK's proposal by saying: "We are offered the role of a pay police, not the one of a negotiator". And STTK's President Mikko Mäenpää joined the chorus by criticising EK for ignoring the basic goals of the trade union movement.

Changes to immigrant integration law coming up
(26.08.2011 - link to the web site of Yle News)

Far higher levels of pay makes Finnish labour market
attractive for Estonians

Helsinki (19.08.2011 - Juhani Artto) In Northern Europe, there is a huge pay gap between two neighbouring countries, Finland and Estonia. Despite Estonia's rapid economic development since its declaration of independence in August 1991 average wages and salaries in Finland are several times higher than those in Estonia. The latter country of 1.3 million inhabitants faces a long, uphill struggle if it is to reach its aspirations by 2020 - in terms of GNP per capita – and take its place alongside Europe's top-5 countries, as Prime minister Andrus Ansip envisioned in February.

STTK rejects additional budget cuts

STTK (19.08.2011) The government should postpone budget cutbacks rather than plan additional cuts, the Finnish Confederation of Professionals STTK concluded on Wednesday. The same logic should be applied to taxes. Tax rises should be postponed to a later date. Budget cuts and tax rises will only have a negative impact on domestic demand and thus weaken employment, STTK warns. As economic growth seems to be slowing down it is important to support domestic employment and growth, STTK argues. It says that European debt crisis stresses good management of the public economy.

JHL's President Tuire Santamäki-Vuori chosen as Secretary of State to the Minister of Finance

JHL (15.08.2011 - Juhani Artto) JHL's President Tuire Santamäki-Vuori, 58, is to be appointed Secretary of State to the Minister of Finance, Jutta Urpelainen. She will take up her duties as the highest official below the minister on September 1. The appointment covers the term of the minister.
Santamäki-Vuori announced in May that she will not be seeking re-election for a new term as President of the JHL. A new union president will be elected in June 2012 by the Union Council. JHL announced on Thursday that the tasks of JHL's President have temporarily been handed over to Jarkko Eloranta, 45, who has been number two in the organization since 2007. On August 25 JHL's board will finalise leadership arrangements for the period up until the June 2012 meeting of the Union Council.

Foreigners living in Finland are much younger
than Finnish nationals

Helsinki (12.08.2011 - Juhani Artto) In 2010, the average age of Finnish nationals was 42.4 years, slightly above the EU-27 average (41.5). On average foreigners and foreign-born people living in Finland are much younger. The average figures for the above are 32.9 and 34.3 respectively, whereas the figures for EU-27 are 34.4 and 40.0. As Finland suffers from an ageing population it is fair to say that Finnish society and its labour market have benefited from immigration. The Finnish trade unions are well aware of this and welcome immigrant labour to work in Finland as long as Finnish legislation and Finnish collective agreements are applied to their working conditions.

Employer tries to circumvent working hour legislation by encouraging employees to form cooperatives

JHL (08.08.2011 - Juhani Artto) Raasepori is a town with a population of 29,000 situated on the Southern coast of Finland. And now the town council is encouraging family child-minders, employed by the town, to give up their current status and form cooperatives, established by themselves. According to the Trade Union for the Public and Welfare Sectors JHL, Märta Wikström, Raasepori's director for the day-care sector, admits that this move by the town is an attempt to circumvent the working hour legislation.

Steel workers end walk out over cheap labour use
(06.08.2011 - link to the web site of Yle News)

Steelworkers protest against wage dumping concerning
Polish construction workers

Helsinki (05.08.2011 - Juhani Artto) Over one thousand employees at the Rautaruukki steel plant in Raahe join in the two-day strike action that began on Thursday morning. The employees seek to demonstrate their solidarity with the Polish workers who have been repairing a blast furnace at the plant since June. The Polish workers are victims of wage dumping, the Finnish Construction Trade Union claims. The masons should be paid at least EUR15.54 per hour but their actual wage is EUR4 per hour or even less. This became apparent last week when authorities inspected the plant. In addition, the eleven-hour work days without days of rest - that these Polish workers are expected to do - is a serious breach of the legislation governing working hours.

A fifth of all hotel chambermaids have experienced
sexual harassment

Helsinki (31.07.2011 - Juhani Artto) The case against ex-IMF chief Dominique Strauss-Kahn's brings to light the risk of sexual harassment chambermaids working in hotels face daily. In Finland, studies conducted by the Finnish Institute of Occupational Health have repeatedly documented that sexual harassment is more common in the hotel and catering sector than in any other industry. Around one tenth of hotel and catering sector employees have experienced sexual harassment at work, the Institute's studies claim. Amongst hotel chambermaids the problem may be even more prevalent. A clear indication that this is so comes from a recent mini-survey conducted by PAM, the magazine of the Service Union United PAM. The magazine mailed its questionnaire to some 500 organized chambermaids. Twenty-five per cent replied and twenty per cent of the respondents claimed to have experienced sexual harassment at their places of work in various hotels around the country.

Pro's Rinne: One must not bow down to violent deeds - Trade union Pro expresses its deep condolences for the grief of Norwegians

Pro (26.07.2011) President Antti Rinne expresses on behalf of the trade union Pro condolences for the political terrorist act that has shocked Norway and people all around the world. Rinne is adamant that people must not bow down to violent deeds. We must continue the work for social development, based on freedom, mutual responsibility and equality, he insists. Read the president of the trade union Pro, Antti Rinne's message of condolence in full.

It is time to consider standing for JHL's Union Council

JHL (21.07.2011 - Juhani Artto) The Union Council is JHL's supreme policymaking body. It consists of 120 representatives elected for five years by direct ballot. The next election will take place from 12 to 28 March 2012. For the ballot the country is divided into 11 regions. Anybody who has become a JHL rank and file member by the end of July 2011 is eligible to stand. The candidates on the ballot are elected at meetings of local chapters. The meetings must take place between 1 October 2011 and 31 January 2012. There is also another way to become a candidate. That happens by forming an electorate association that approves the candidacy of the rank and file member.

Reaction to extreme wage dumping:
Considerable number of Polish electricians join the Finnish union

Helsinki (17.07.2011 - Juhani Artto) The Electrical Workers' Union has good news from the construction site of the Olkiluoto 3 nuclear power plant on the Finnish West Coast. More and more Polish electricians have come to realise that they are being badly exploited by their Polish employers and have joined the Finnish Electrical Workers' Union. From Elektrobudowa alone, over one hundred Polish electricians are now rank and file members of the union and benefit from its legal advice and other services. Thus, a third of the company's electricians at the Olkiluoto site are now organized.

Employers disturb almost half of foremen during their vacation

Helsinki (11.07.2011 - Juhani Artto) The from four to six week vacations enjoyed by Finnish wage and salary earners rank high among the achievements of the Finnish trade union movement. However, nowadays employers often interfere with vacationers' well-earned leisure time by
contacting them with various requests. Mobile phones and mobile net connections have made it technically easy for employers to contact their employees whenever the need arises. A new survey made by the salaried employees' trade union Pro gives a detailed picture on how often these interventions take place. Among private sector salaried employees, in the worst case scenarios are foremen/supervisors, as employers are likely to contact 41 per cent of them during their vacation. On average 28 per cent of the private sector salaried employees can expect to be disturbed during their vacation by their employers.

JHL opens up special web site on working conditions in atypical jobs

JHL (07.07.2011 ) In the 2000s working conditions for employees in atypical jobs have improved but they still do not have the same rights and benefits as the permanently employed, full-time employees. The Trade Union for the Public and Welfare Sector JHL has been in the forefront in the fight for equal rights of employees in atypical jobs. In late June JHL began to use a new tool in this fight. The union opened up a special web site on atypical employment issues. The Finnish language material sets out to explain some basic facts on working conditions for employees in various forms of atypical employment. The material covers all the major groups of atypical employment: fixed-term employment, part-time work, self-employment and agency labour. In Finland about 700,000 men and women work in atypical forms of employment. That makes up almost 30 per cent of the present labour force of 2.5 million.

Atypical jobs offer poorer vacation rights

Helsinki (07.07.2011 - Juhani Artto) Trade unions want employees in atypical jobs to have identical rights as wage and salary earners in permanent full-time jobs. However, regulations on working conditions in atypical jobs still fall short of this demand. This is true also concerning the length of annual leave. "The logic is this: The shorter the employment relation is and the more it diverges from the typical employment relation, the poorer the annual leave rights are", Anu-Hanna Anttila, a sociologist from the University of Turku, writes on SAK's web site.

The government aims to create 90 000 new jobs

Helsinki (01.07.2011 - Juhani Artto) Raising the employment rate to about 72 per cent from the present level - clearly below 70 per cent - is one of the cornerstones of the strategy of the new government, led by Prime Minister Jyrki Katainen from the National Coalition Party. (click to the graph on employment rate 1989-2011 - http://www.findikaattori.fi/41/). According to the new labour minister Lauri Ihalainen (former President of the union confederation SAK) reaching this goal demands the creation of 90 000 new jobs in the next four years. In the present economic environment the goal is very ambitious and many vulnerabilities shadow the road leading to the goal. It is fair to say many people regarded this goal as unrealistic. But trade unions are totally committed in their support for the plan to improve employment opportunities.

Berry pickers get advice in four languages
(28.06.2011 - link to the web site of SAK)

Unions: Better competitiveness should mean better pay
(27.06.2011 - link to the web site of Yle News)

New government programme taxes high incomes more heavily than before
(21.06.2010 - link to the web site of Helsingin Sanomat)

Trade unions satisfied with the new government programme

Helsinki (20.06.2011 - Juhani Artto) The basic line of the new government programme is acceptable to the trade unions. This indisputable conclusion may be drawn from early comments made by the Presidents of the three union confederations (Akava, SAK, STTK) and also from the reactions of Presidents of several large national trade unions, such as JHL and PRO. The 89-page programme consists not only of general outlines with respect to future policy but numerous concrete solutions. The government is determined to put an end to growing inequality and bring about at least a modest improvement in the standard of living of poor people. The spike in the budget deficit will be slowed down significantly and unemployment will decrease, assuming that the fairly brisk economic growth continues. Trade union leaders regard trends of this nature as necessary and fair.

Pro's President Antti Rinne: Working life element
of the new government programme is well balanced

Helsinki (20.06.2011 - Juhani Artto) The new government programme includes several goals held dear by Pro, such as working life regulation, more training during working hours and three-tier cooperation. Trade Union Pro regards the new government programme as providing a good basis for the development of working life and extended working careers. "The working life aspect of the programme is well balanced and directs discussion on how to extend working careers into measurable, tangible realities", Antti Rinne, the President of Pro proclaims.

JHL is satisfied with the general direction of the new government programme but criticizes cuts in financing of municipal services

Helsinki (20.06.2011 - Juhani Artto) Tuire Santamäki-Vuori, the President of the Trade Union for Public and Welfare Sectors JHL, regards the new government programme as decent considering the difficult starting points of the negotiations. JHL welcomes the plan to develop the structure of municipalities so that stronger municipalities - in contrast to the current situation - would be responsible for organising services. JHL is also grateful for the decision to offer municipal employees proper job security when carrying out structural changes after 2013. The existing job security guarantees were due to end in 2013.

ILO plays an active role in the Arab world
‑ interview with Kari Tapiola, ILO

Helsinki (17.06.2011 ‑ Juhani Artto) "Recent events in the Arab world came as much of a surprise to us, and no doubt to everyone else too", says Kari Tapiola* who works as a special adviser to ILO's Director‑General Juan Somavia. In the last few months Tapiola has mainly been working on issues arising from ILO's involvement in the Arab countries. The ILO has a long history in many parts of the Arab world. Within the region there is a huge need for assistance revolving around issues covered by the ILO's mandate: employment, social justice, trade union rights etc. The changes now taking place will most certainly add to requests for ILO's services, Tapiola goes on.

SAK comes out strong and united from its 18th Congress

Tampere (08.06.2011 - Juhani Artto) SAK, the union confederation formed by 21 national unions with over one million rank and file members, updated its action program at the 18th Congress held on 6-8 June in Tampere. The context of the Congress was widely reported in English by SAK itself. The material was produced in cooperation with the Trade Union News from Finland. Click here for news, interviews and analysis from the Congress.

General discussion at the SAK Congress:
Affiliated unions broadly agree on confederation's line

Tampere (07.06.2011 - Juhani Artto) The speeches at the SAK Congress general discussion - altogether some 70 contributions – conveyed convincing evidence that the "SAK movement" has reached a broad consensus on its goals and the means to achieve them. This is not to say that there aren’t any disagreements. There certainly are, but they do not divide the movement into warring factions and it is safe to say any disagreements over strategy or tactics are handled in a concrete and open manner.

Ralf Sund, STTK:
"It is possible to simultaneously decrease income gaps
and balance the State economy"

STTK (06.06.2011) Although the parliamentary elections were held on April 17, Finland is still without a new government in early June. “What has gone wrong in the negotiations?” asks Ralf Sund, the economic policy expert of the union confederation STTK, in his recent column in the daily newspaper Kaleva. “The unclear state of the Finnish economy is much to blame for the slow progress in the negotiations,” says Sund.

Wage and salary earners' real incomes are now decreasing
after a long period of steady increase

Helsinki (01.06.2011 - Juhani Artto) Statistics for the 2011 January-March quarterly period show that the real incomes of wage and salary earners were 1.0 per cent below the level for January-March 2010. It was back in July-September 2007 when quarterly statistics showed the last previous negative trend, but one has to go back to 1993 to find negative figures on an annual basis. When trying to assess 2011 as a whole, current data available suggests negative growth in respect of the real value of wages and salaries. Collective agreements signed since August 2010 have meant lower pay rises when measured against inflation.

Akava elects an experienced lobbyist Sture Fjäder
as its new President

Helsinki (27.05.2011 - Juhani Artto) Akava, the union confederation that represents teachers and a broad spectrum of academic professionals elected a new President on Wednesday. He is Sture Fjäder, 53. He has been an Akava's board member since 1995 and has worked in different capacities for SEFE, The Finnish Association of Business School Graduates, since 1989. Recently, he was named as SEFE's Head of Policy Development. Akava consists of 34 affiliated unions, totalling 550,000 rank and file members. Membership has more than doubled in last two decades.

Older than 45 - too old in current job market?
(23.05.2010 - link to the web site of YLE News)

SAK wants lowest pay to be raised to EUR1,800 per month by 2016

Helsinki (23.05.2011 - Juhani Artto) The union confederation SAK is set to approve EUR1,800 per month as its next goal for minimum pay. This proposal is included in the draft action program 2011-2016 for the SAK Congress on June 6-8 in Tampere. The idea is to reach the goal by 2016. In real terms this would bring it into line with the norm set by the EU in its Social Charter. According to the latter a wage or salary is decent when the after-tax or net income is at least 60 per cent of the national median pay. At the moment the lowest acceptable pay should be close to EUR1,600 per month if the norm is respected. Unfortunately, this is not the situation. There are still employees, holding down full-time jobs, who receive less than EUR1,500 per month - SAK's minimum pay goal in recent years.

JHL thanks the City of Espoo for taking a stand
against grey economy

JHL (23.05.2011) The Trade Union for the Public and Welfare Sectors JHL is pleased with the steps taken recently by Espoo City Council to tighten up on the control of the services it purchases. Espoo, with its 250,000 inhabitants, is the second largest city in Finland. Just a few months ago, there were reports that companies, which had been caught for flagrant tax evasion and usury-type work discrimination, were still cleaning schools and day-care centres for the city. Now, Espoo has also begun to cooperate with the police and the tax authorities to stop the illegal use of labour. And a special fee, for breaching agreements, has been added to the cleaning services contracts.

Technology Industries put industrial peace at risk by arrogance

Pro (23.05.2011) The Trade Union Pro and The Federation of Finnish Technology Industries began collective bargaining on salaries for 2011 on April 19. It was agreed that the parties would try to reach an agreement by the end of May. On May 4 Pro gave the employer side its proposal for salary increases. Salaries should be raised by EUR90 per month, or by at least 3.5 per cent. However, on May 20 employer negotiators announced that Pro's demands differ so widely from the employers' ideas that they could not put forward any proposal for salary rises under the circumstances.

A follow-up card for workers exposed to asbestos

Helsinki (17.05.2011 - Juhani Artto) Experts estimate that about 200,000 Finns have been exposed to asbestos. At least 10,000 of them have succumbed to asbestos-caused illnesses, and in recent years around one hundred have died annually as victims of asbestos exposure during their working lives. At this point in time the number of serious illnesses related to asbestos is approaching the top-most level. Now a new tool has been introduced to make it easier to find out the true cause of an asbestos-related illness. This tool is a follow-up card. It is filled with data on exposure and on possible occupational disease. All follow-up health checks and their results and plans for the future treatment are written on the card.

Finnish paper: Walk-outs intensify because of strike-breaking
(13.05.2010 - link to the web site of ICEM)

Why should a cleaner learn Finnish?
(13.05.2010 - link to the web site of PAM)

JHL: Social security for self-employed must be improved

JHL/Trunf - Helsinki (06.05.2011 - Heikki Jokinen, Juhani Artto) A fairly new item on the agenda of the Trade Union for the Public and Welfare Sectors JHL is safeguarding the interests of those who are self-employed. But before delving deeper into this, we should note some basic facts concerning the situation of the self-employed in Finnish society today. Some 160,000 people earn their living as self-employed persons, which makes up seven per cent of the total labour force - far less than in many other EU member states. In the last two years the number of self-employed in Finland has grown by 20,000. Only a few years ago not many trade unions paid much attention to the interests of the self-employed but more recently an increasing number of organisations have begun to elaborate their policy on safeguarding the interests of this heterogeneous group. The reasons for this are obvious enough, as those engaged in self-employment have managed to penetrate most industries in one way or another.

Mediation fails in Finnish paper strike:
Strikes continue
(03.05.2010 - link to the web site of ICEM)

Labour confederations open help line for summer workers
(02.05.2010 - link to the web site of SAK)

More cases under investigation:
Hungarian condemned for usurpy-type work discrimination
in Finland

Helsinki (02.05.2011 - Juhani Artto) The representative of the Hungarian employment agency Èszak-Èke Kft has been engaged in usurpy-type work discrimination in Finland, the District Court of Pirkanmaa concluded in early April. The company had employed Hungarian employees to work in a metal working company in Parkano in Western Finland and paid them a monthly wage from EUR517 to EUR595. According to the collective agreement of the technology industry they should have been paid a monthly wage of about EUR1400.

23 rank and file members of the JHL elected
to the new Finnish Parliament

JHL (28.04.2011 - Juhani Artto) The April 17 parliamentary elections in Finland proved highly successful for members of the Trade Union for the Public and Welfare Sectors JHL. Out of the JHL 113 candidates who stood, no less than 23 were elected to the 200-seat parliament. 17 are Social Democrats. 4 represent the Left Alliance, one the True Finns and one the Centre Party. These MPs and members of the JHL come from all major regions of the country. In fact, most members of the new Parliament are rank and file members of trade unions. The figure is over 120. This is not new as the Parliaments elected in 2007 and in 2003 also had a majority of MPs organized in trade unions.

Finnish paper strike heats up - further help needed
(26.04.2010 - link to the web site of ICEM)

Most MPs of the new Parliament are rank and file members
of trade unions

Helsinki (24.04.2011 - Juhani Artto) Big changes characterise the April 17 Parliamentary elections in Finland, but - as in the previous Parliament - a clear majority of the MPs are rank and file members of trade unions. Over 120 of the 200 MPs have union affiliation. Some 60 MPs are members in the unions that are affiliated members of the highly educated employees' confederation Akava. At least 39 MPs are rank and file members in unions of the union confederation SAK and 22 MPs in unions of the salaried employees' union confederation STTK. In addition, several journalists, organized in the independent Union of Journalists in Finland, were elected.

The truth about the election winners - the True Finns

Helsinki (24.04.2011 - Juhani Artto) The rise of the True Finns as a political force in the April 17 Parliamentary election is by far the greatest and most overwhelming change to affect the Finnish political scene in over 60 years. The True Finns gained an astonishing 34 new seats in the 200 seat parliament, bringing their total to 39 (they held 5 seats during the last parliament). In many foreign commentaries the True Finns have been characterized as a party of xenophobic, nationalist, anti-EU, populist and extreme right-wing people, but, in my view, it is a bit too early to make such a sweeping judgement. There are indeed grounds for applying such labels but they may also serve to create wrong or distorted images among people who are not well aware of how Finnish society functions.

Leila Kostiainen, the General Secretary of the STTK:
Employment issues at the forefront of the government programme

STTK (24.04.2011) Although the result of the Parliamentary election was a something of a surprise, Leila Kostiainen, the General Secretary of the STTK, believes that STTK will enjoy good cooperation with the next government. "STTK always strives to have good cooperation with the government regardless what parties have formed it. And so it will be now also. We do not foresee any obstacles to this being the case." Kostiainen expects the inter-party negotiations to lead to a majority government that will be able, together with the labour market organizations, to push the economy forward.

Polish engineering firm concedes to Finland's Metalliliitto
at nuclear plant
(18.04.2010 - link to the web site of ICEM)

Almost 3,000 TeliaSonera salaried employees set to initiate strike
on Monday

Pro (15.04.2011) Although up to 300 jobs are under threat, measures to soften the impact of losing one's job in Finland, are not as effective as in Sweden. Salaried employees at the teleoperator, TeliaSonera Finland (TSF) will begin their second strike in April in response to the company's plan to cut up to 300 jobs. An open-ended overtime ban, covering the entire TSF, has been effective as of Thursday morning. The strike begins on April 18 at 6 a.m. and will last for four days. Salaried employees at all 16 TSF units around the country will be out on strike. And, additionally, over 250 salaried employees of TSF's subcontractors and companies providing TSF with agency labour will join the strike. These companies are GoExcellent, Manpower Business Solutions, Staffpoint and Teleperformance.

Vast majority of Finns oppose privatisation of
"a significant proportion" of public services

JHL (14.04.2011 - Juhani Artto) Finns do not regard the privatisation of public services as a viable solution to society’s problems. Regardless of gender, age, place of residence, political orientation or status in working life a large majority say NO to privatisation of "a significant proportion" of public services. This conclusion is among the major results in the recent opinion survey, carried out by TNS-Gallup and commissioned by the Trade Union for the Public and Welfare Sectors. Only 16 per cent of the respondents agreed with the claim "A significant proportion of public services should be outsourced to private companies". 76 per cent disagreed with the claim. A similar divide between support and opposition was also found among both men and women and among people living in various parts of the country.

Finland's Pro announces further paper strikes
(13.04.2010 - link to the web site of STT / Helsinki Times)

A third of public sector organisations apply ethical criteria
in their work-clothes purchases

Helsinki (12.04.2011 - Heikki Jokinen) Ethical criteria have become more common in work-clothes purchases by public sector organisations. However, most still fail to give any serious consideration to the working conditions of their suppliers. This is the conclusion of a new study, carried out by researcher Päivi Pöyhönen and commissioned by Finnwatch. The study covers sixteen public sector organisations and three state-owned companies. And an interesting and positive development has been revealed by the study. Currently, one third of the above have introduced ethical demands, which must be met by their work-clothes suppliers. Four years ago a similar study revealed that at that time none of these public sector bodies had such demands in place.

Proliitto strike in Finland against paper firm UPM continues
(11.04.2010 - link to the web site of ICEM)

Salaried employees take decisive measures
and opt for a two-week strike in the paper industry

Pro (07.04.2011 - Juhani Artto) In and around one thousand salaried employees, working for the forest industry company UPM-Kymmene, began a strike on Thursday morning. Pro, the trade union of salaried employees, believes that most of UPM-Kymmene's factories in Finland will interrupt their production this week. The strike is planned to go on for two weeks. The major disagreement between Pro and the employer organization Finnish Forest Industries Federation concerns the salary system. Salaried employees of the paper industry want to have a similar salary system to the one applied in most industries where Pro represents salaried employees.

Akava and Trade Union News from Finland begin cooperation

Helsinki (05.04.2011 - Juhani Artto) Akava, the union confederation of
highly educated employees, has begun to cooperate with Trade Union News from Finland. Akava's decision reflects the union movement's need to enlarge its English language reporting. Internationally active Finnish union organisations want organised employees in other countries to be familiar with characteristics and developments concerning the Finnish labour market. - Akava and its 34 affiliates can be regarded as a success story. Over a 30 year period the affiliates have been able to more than treble the number of their rank and file members to over half a million. The organising rate in the various fields has risen, on average, to about 70 per cent. By way of international comparison this is a very high rate indeed, bearing in mind that the tradition of organising among highly educated employees has been of relatively brief duration. - Read more: Akava - Confederation of Unions for Professional and Managerial Staff in Finland

Unions and NGOs want to have the right to sue on behalf of individuals

Helsinki (04.04.2011 - Juhani Artto) Under current Finnish legislation it is not possible for a trade union to sue an employer on behalf of its rank and file members or non-member individuals unless they have authorized the union to do so. Unions regard this as a serious injustice and demand new legislation - which would allow for what is presently impermissible - to be included in the next government programme. The right to sue has been among the top issues of the union organizations' election campaigns. The Council of Industrial Unions TP wants the right to sue to cover, for example, issues related to working hours, illegal dismissals, equality, occupational safety and neglect of joint counselling. The Council represents over 800,000 wage and salaried employees, organized in 14 trade unions. In the TP, there are unions from all three union confederations Akava, SAK and STTK.

TeliaSonera staff launch five day strike
(30.03.2010 - link to the web site of YLE News)

Finnish paper sector wage accords divert between ICEM affiliates
(28.03.2010 - link to the web site of ICEM)

Joint consultation to begin in late April:
Will Nokia cut thousands of jobs in Finland?

Helsinki (24.03.2011 - Juhani Artto) Jorma Ollila, the Chairman of the mobile phone giant Nokia's board, announced on Wednesday that the company will begin representations in late April as part of the joint consultation process with personnel. The talks concern 16,000 employees in Finland and elsewhere but in Finland, especially, this has raised great fears of drastic job cuts. Experts and many others have speculated that thousands may lose their jobs, since the announcement of the overhaul of Nokia's strategy. Nokia will replace the Symbian operating system in its mobile phones with Microsoft's software.

More fatal accidents and higher frequency of accidents in 2010

Helsinki (21.03.2011 - Juhani Artto) Last year the number of work accidents increased by 5 per cent from 2009. In part, this unwanted development can be explained by the economic upswing that has meant more people in employment and a concomitant increase in overall working hours. However, there has also been a clear rise in accident frequency. In 2009 there were 28 accidents per one million working hours and in 2010 the vital statistical figure rose to 30. Thus, the accident frequency rose by 4 per cent.

Efforts to narrow the gender pay gap have not been effective

Helsinki (08.03.2011 - Juhani Artto) A number of influential people have recently voiced alarm at how slowly the gender pay gap in Finland is being narrowed. Among them have been Leila Kostiainen, the Secretary General of the Finnish Confederation of Professionals STTK and Pentti Arajärvi, a professor who has, since 2009, headed the high-level group monitoring the implementation of the government's equal pay programme. In 2006 the government and the central labour market organizations approved as their common goal to raise, by 2015, women's pay to 85 per cent of men's pay. Back then, in 2006, women earned, on average, 80.9 per cent of what men earned.

Security guards' strikes called off
(02.03.2010 - link to the web site of Yle News)

Effective retirement age jumped upwards more than expected

Helsinki (28.02.2011 - Juhani Artto) In 2010 the effective retirement age rose to 60.4 years. It was the second year in a row of clear increase. Last year the jump upwards was even higher than expected by experts, no less than 0.6 years in one year. The common goal of the Finnish government and labour market organizations is to raise the effective retirement by three years by 2025, from the 2008 level of 59.4 years. Last year almost half of the increase of the effective retirement age was due to the abolishment of the unemployment pension for people who were born in 1950 or later. - Read more: Clear increase in the effective retirement age, Työeläke 1-2011, page 35   

Bus driving mainly an immigrant's profession
(25.02.2010 - link to the web site of Yle News)

Nordic country trade unions in dialogue with ACFTU of China

Helsinki (23.02./24.02.2011 - Juhani Artto) In mid' February representatives of the largest union confederations* of the five Nordic countries and the official Chinese union organization ACFTU held a two-day seminar in Helsinki. Under discussion were major global issues, such as the economic crisis, unemployment, corporate social responsibility and collective bargaining. Also climate change, migration and international cooperation of the trade union movement were on the agenda. The Nordic unions firmly believe that dialogue with the Chinese union organization is preferable to efforts to isolate it, as was done in the past. "SAK has good bilateral relations with the ACFTU", Marjaana Valkonen, the Director for International Affairs of the SAK says.

Finnish trade union movement demands EU not intervene
in collective bargaining

Helsinki (22.02.2011 - Juhani Artto) The EU's plan to grab the right to control collective bargaining taking place in the Member States has been turned down outright by the Finnish trade union movement. This was the message of Mikko Mäenpää in his radio interview broadcasted on Monday morning by Yle. Mäenpää is the President of the Finnish Confederation of Professional STTK and a steering committee member of the European Trade Union Confederation ETUC. He urges Finnish politicians to ensure that the EU will not intervene in working life matters at national level. Intervention on bargaining and pay levels would be steps in a wrong direction and would be opposed by the entire trade union movement, Mäenpää stresses.

PAM warns of strike at Securitas

Helsinki (18.02.2011 - Juhani Artto) The Service Union United PAM has declared a three-day strike, to begin on Wednesday 2 March, at the security company Securitas. The strike is in protest against the company's deliberate action, which the union claims is designed to complicate collective bargaining negotiations which are underway in the security industry. The previous collective agreement for the industry expired on 31 January 2011. "The company has interrogated and put pressure on employees and shop stewards who have participated in industrial action. Securitas has also sent its employees a message where it urges them to leave PAM and to search for an alternative to it", explains Ann Selin, the President of PAM.

New agreements to maintain purchasing power of municipal
and state employees

JHL (17.02.2011 - Juhani Artto) Negotiators in the municipal and state sectors have reached a common understanding on new collective agreements. The aim is to give pay rises that will maintain the purchasing power of the employees. This was the main goal of The Trade Union for the Public and Welfare Sectors JHL and the other unions representing employees. In the municipal sector the agreement covers some 430,000 employees, and in the state sector 88,000 employees.

JHL: Employers' offer for the municipal sector pay rises is too low

JHL (09.02.2011 - Juhani Artto) Collective bargaining in the municipal sector came to a head on Tuesday with the employer side offering a concrete offer. The proposal consists of a 0.8 pay rise for all on May 1 and a 0.7 locally negotiable pay rise on September 1. On an annual basis the rise for 2011 would thus remain below 1 per cent. Considering that inflation runs at around 2.4 per cent or even more the employers' offer would mean, in real terms, a reduction of municipal employees' purchasing power by about 1 per cent, says Tuire Santamäki-Vuori, the President of The Trade Union for the Public and Welfare Sectors JHL. JHL and the other unions representing the municipal employees rejected the employers' offer outright, maintaining that the pay rises were too low. The unions' goal is to reach an agreement, which would uphold the purchasing power of municipal employees.

Bus drivers demand better security
(09.02.2010 - link to the web site of Yle News)

Trafficking in humans often hidden away
(04.02.2010 - link to the web site of Helsingin Sanomat)

Finnish union confederations want the EU to put more pressure
on Belarus

Helsinki (02.02.2011 - Juhani Artto) Last Thursday, three Finnish union confederations - SAK, STTK and Akava –in a joint effort- issued a statement condemning the arrests and maul-handling of protesters after the December presidential elections in Belarus. Among those arrested were union activists and a number of those arrested are still imprisoned, the confederations say. They are now urging the EU to put pressure on Belarus to implement the ILO's recommendations on Belarus. The recommendations concern the implementation of ILO conventions on organizing and collective bargaining rights.

Ambitious goal of five municipalities:
All young people will be employed at least temporarily

JHL (31.01.2011 - Juhani Artto) Stakeholders in a new project believe that it is possible and imperative to organize at least temporary work for all young people who are not studying. The goal is ambitious as youth unemployment is high also in Finland. In November 2010 the unemployment rate of people from 15 to 24 years of age was 16.1 per cent. The project is to be implemented in five municipalities: Vantaa, Kuopio, Kotka, Uusikaupunki and Huittinen. In the municipality of Vantaa (pop. 200,000) the challenge is to find work, by April 1, for about one thousand young unemployed people. The idea is to employ each of these unemployed people for at least two months to give them valuable and confidence boosting work experience. In Uusikaupunki the goal is even more ambitious, as the project aims to offer work for three or four months.

Stora Enso bends to High Court's decision after irresponsible delay:
Strike participants will finally receive their performance bonuses

Helsinki (26.01.2011 - Juhani Artto) The Finnish-Swedish forest industry company Stora Enso announced on Tuesday that it will adhere to the decision made by the High Court in December 2010. It means that the company will finally pay performance bonuses to employees whose bonuses it had withheld because of their participation in strikes in 2005-2009. The company says to have reserved EUR21 million for cash expenses "related to performance-based rewards that were not paid due to illegal strikes in Finland in 2005-2009".

Bangladeshi cleaners paid slave wages in Finland
(19.01.2010 - link to the web site of Yle News)

Now organized employers make proposals to intensify fight against grey economy

Helsinki (17.01.2011 - Juhani Artto) The fight against the grey economy has taken an important step forward with the new initiatives being proposed by the Confederation of Finnish Industries EK. The powerful employer central organisation wants to make tax identification numbers mandatory for all persons working in the construction industry. Trade union organizations have welcomed EK's initiative on the tax identification number. Strong legislation is beneficial for both employees and honest entrepreneurs, emphasizes Matti Harjuniemi, the President of the 85,000 rank and file member Finnish Construction Trade Union.

Collective bargaining back in full swing in state
and municipal sectors

JHL (13.01.2011 - Juhani Artto) Pay regulations are the most important issues at stake in the collective bargaining process facing the state and municipal sectors, says The Trade Union for the Public and Welfare Sectors. The negotiations began on Monday. And the aim is to reach a common understanding by the end of January. Concerning negotiations in the state sector JHL's President Tuire Santamäki-Vuori wishes to make it very clear that employees must not be forced to foot the bill for the "sustainability deficit" in state finances. Pay rises must match rises in other labour market sectors. JHL also underlines the need to guarantee gender equality and a fair status for fixed-term employees.

New jobs hard to find for workers of closed paper mills
- salaried employees have fared somewhat better

Helsinki (03.01.2011 - Juhani Artto) In the last few years thousands of employees have lost their jobs as a result of pulp and paper mill closures. Esa Kaitila, a researcher working at The Paperworkers' Union, calculates that since 2006 over 4,000 of its rank and file members have lost their jobs due to closures. Director Markku Palokangas from the largest union of salaried employees PRO estimates that in the same period from 1,500 to 2,000 salaried employee jobs have been eliminated in the pulp and paper industry. A new study provides detailed information on how the workers of the closed mills in Hamina (Summa), Kajaani and Kemijärvi have fared in the labour market following the closures. Not well, as was indeed expected already 2-3 years ago when the closure plans were announced.

PAM's President Ann Selin lists her wishes for the New Year

Helsinki (30.12.2010 - Juhani Artto) Ann Selin, the President of the Service Union United PAM, has 26 wishes for the New Year. Some of them are as follows: More people get a job or place for studying. - Employees receive a living wage. - Part-timers get more working hours when they want to have. - The amount of temporary jobs decreases. - No temporary and permanent lay-offs. - Trust between employers and employees improves.

Finns among hardest workers in the EU
(29.12.2010 - link to the web site of Yle News)

One sixth of school assistants subjugated to weekly violence

JHL (23.12.2010 - Juhani Artto) It is surprisingly common how often school assistants are targeted violently at their work place, comments Kaijamaija Parviainen from The Trade Union for the Public and Welfare Sectors JHL on the results of a recent survey. Over 600 school assistants replied to the questionnaire. Almost 3 per cent of the respondents encounter violence daily at their place of work. And nearly 15 per cent face the same unpleasantness on a weekly basis, and 12 per cent monthly. Around 30 per cent claim to have no violent experiences in their work. The remaining 40 per cent claim to have been targets of violence but with occurrences seldom ranging over once a month.

Stora Enso's strikers entitled to performance bonuses

TU (23.12.2010 - Juhani Artto) On Wednesday the High Court ordered Stora Enso to pay to its 200 salaried employees at the Oulu and Anjalankoski mills over  EUR200,000. This verdict finally brought resolution to a dispute originating from spring 2006. Then Stora Enso refused to pay performance bonuses to salaried employees who had taken part in the industrial action organized by their trade unions. The strike was a protest against the thousands of dismissals in the forest industry. The High Court's Wednesday decision concerns a fifth of the employees involved in the dispute. However, the remaining- almost 800 salaried employees- will also get the performance bonuses, which has up until now been denied them by their employer Stora Enso. The company now has to fork out over one million euros altogether in disputed performance bonuses.

Union confederation leaders' worried about deterioration
of three-tier cooperation

Helsinki (20.12.2010 - Juhani Artto) Since the late 1960s three-tier cooperation between the government and the labour market organizations has been an important element in the promotion of economic growth and in the development of the Finnish welfare system. Now there are serious signs of deterioration in this three-tier cooperation endeavour. Therefore, it is no small wonder that the Presidents of the two largest union confederations, SAK's Lauri Lyly and STTK's Mikko Mäenpää, have become alarmed by this trend. They have sought to analyse what has been happening in the latest issues of their organizations' magazines, Palkkatyöläinen and sttklehti.

Technology industry employers and unions work together to improve well-being at work

Helsinki (17.12.2010 - Juhani Artto) Well-being at work can be significantly improved in the technology industry. This conclusion marks the starting point of a new project in the industry that - with its 270,000 employees - plays a central role in the Finnish economy. Some 20 enterprises of various sizes and product sectors will participate in the project's pilot stage, which is already underway. The goal of the pilot stage is to test and develop methods and measuring tools applicable in the promotion of well-being at work. The long-term goal is to create a method (for developing well-being at work) that also allows for comparisons to be made on the progress being made at various work places. In 2012, once the pilot stage has been completed the project will be expanded and will reach hundreds of enterprises.

Nokia concludes co-determination talks:
800 jobs to be cut in Finland instead of predicted 850
(15.12.2010 - link to the web site of Helsingin Sanomat)

Railway Workers' Union and JHL amalgamate

JHL (14.12.2010 - Juhani Artto) The Trade Union for the Public and Welfare Sectors JHL and the Railway Workers' Union are set to amalgamate. The agreement to join forces was signed on 29 November. The amalgamation proper will be finalized by the end of 2011. JHL represents 220,000 employees in the public and welfare sectors. The Railway Workers' Union has 14,000 rank and file members. With the 234,000 rank and file members the amalgamated union will be largest in Finland. The merger, above all, serves to strengthen the position of organized labour in the rail traffic sector.

Broad political support in Finland to erase precarious worker abuse
 (13.12.2010 - link to the web site of ICEM)

TU and Suora amalgamate to become Pro

TU (13.12.2010 - Juhani Artto) The union of salaried employees TU and Suora, the union of the financial sector salaried employees, finally approved their amalgamation on Saturday. The new union Pro will be operative from 1 January 2011. The first steps in the amalgamation process were taken five years ago. The union has some 130,000 rank and file members in the private industry and service sectors. Within industry members are to be found in the large sectors such as the technology, forest, chemical and food industries. Also ICT, construction, energy and media industries are well represented.

In Finnish industrial sector the gender pay gap remains large

Helsinki (12.12.2010 - Juhani Artto) In the second quarter 2010 the average wages for women in Finnish industry were 84.4 per cent of average wages for men. The gap was marginally larger than in the fourth quarter 2007 and 2006. In the second quarter 2002 the corresponding figure was 80 per cent.

Grey economy issues now receiving much attention

Helsinki (29.11.2010 - Juhani Artto) The grey economy has now become a very real issue in Finnish politics. This may be seen as a reaction to the recent studies that indicate a rapid growth in the grey economy, with all its attendant malignant implications for society as a whole and in particular for all those companies operating legitimately and their Finnish employees. On November 9 the Ministry of Employment and the Economy set up a task force to appraise how the present administrative tools work in tackling the grey economy. According to the Minister of Labour Anni Sinnemäki, a central issue on the task force's agenda is to prepare amendments to the Act on the Contractor's Obligations and Liability when Work is Contracted Out.

Paper union boss forced to step aside
 (24.11.2010 - link to the web site of Yle News)

TU's Rinne wants support to Ireland conditioned
by higher company tax

TU (24.11.2010) Antti Rinne, the President of the Union of Salaried Employees TU, rejects the plan to bail out Ireland without an assurance that Irish corporation tax be raised. "Finnish tax-payers should not be expected to allow Ireland to continue, after the bailout operation, its economic policy that is unfair and dangerous towards European wage and salary earners. Ireland has to bring its corporate tax back into line with the average level of the EU Member States. Ireland has succeeded in garnering foreign investments by means of unhealthy tax competition. One has to remember that employees lost jobs and states lost tax incomes in countries from where, for example, IT jobs were transferred to Ireland." In Ireland the company tax base is 12.5, in Finland 26 and on average in the EU Member States 23 per cent.

Turkish electricians returned home

Helsinki (22.11.2010 - Juhani Artto) In late September we reported on
suspicions that Turkish electricians are not being properly paid for building a new 400 kV transmission line in Southern Ostrobothnia
(www.artto.kaapeli.fi/unions/T2010/n28). These suspicions had been voiced by The Electrical Workers' Union. Soon after that Sauli Väntti, who is responsible for the union's work in the energy and ICT sectors, visited the work site of the Turkish company Internationale Freileitungsmontage (IFM) to gather information on working conditions. A week later - without any explanations - the 33 Turkish electricians returned home.

Study: Most long-term unemployed suffer from mental problems (12.11.2010 - link to the web site of Yle News)

STTK working to impact next government programme

STTK (12.11.2010 - Juhani Artto) Like other major interest groups and organizations, The Finnish Confederation of Professionals STTK has prepared, in cooperation with its affiliated unions, a document in which it sets out its goals aimed at the next government programme. The Parliamentary elections will be held in April 2011 but STTK and the other interest organizations have had their own proposals for the next government programme ready for some time.

A new English language report explains how the municipal system functions in Finland

JHL (11.11.2010 - Juhani Artto) Municipalities play a big role in the lives of Finns. This is primarily due to the vast responsibilities municipalities have in organizing basic education and health care, social and many other vital services citizens need at various stages of their lives. How all this is organized is outlined in a new English language publication, published by the Government Institute for Economic Research VATT. The 65-page pdf-file can be loaded here. According to VATT the publication is the most comprehensive English language report on municipal finances in Finland.

Public sector unions help immigrant labour integrate
into Finnish society

Fipsu (10.11.2010 - Juhani Artto) The question of immigrants and immigration has become an important issue in the discussion and debate leading up to the April 2011 parliamentary elections. And the trade unions have also been doing their bit. They have reacted in a positive and responsible fashion to what has become an emotive issue subject to somewhat overheated handling. Two goals govern the union agenda on immigration and immigrants. Unions have created a multitude of activities that aim to help and speed up the integration of immigrant labour into Finnish society and its labour market. The first and number one goal is to prevent immigrant employees from becoming victims of social dumping.

Unions adamant:
Same rules for Finns must apply to immigrant labour

Helsinki (09.11.2010 - Juhani Artto) In Finland the question of work-related immigration is a fairly recent experience when compared with most other Western European countries. And, this is primarily due to the fact that Finland was a country -up until just a few decades ago- where labour emigration clearly exceeded work-related immigration. The role of the labour market organizations vis a vis labour-related immigration can be divided into two strands. The employers have emphasized the need for work-related immigration, mindful of the ageing population. For the same reason, the trade unions have admitted the existence of this need but the trade unions' interest has always focused on the rules concerning the use of foreign labour and on how these rules are respected.

Sharp divisions over shorter vacations, extended working hours
(06.11.2010 - link to the web site of Yle News)

SAK publishes a long list of initiatives to tackle grey economy

Helsinki (02.11.2010 - Juhani Artto) Data on the ever growing grey economy worries the union confederation SAK. "It is not only a question of lost taxes and fees but also the negative impact on the fairness of competition in business life, on the status of employees, on general tax morality and on the credibility of the entire tax system", SAK says in its large and detailed initiative on the grey economy, published on Tuesday.
The document includes 25 proposals on how to amend current legislation to make it a more effective weapon and barrier against the grey economy.

• Akava - Confederation of Unions for Professional and Managerial Staff in Finland (Finnish, Swedish, English, Estonian, French, Russian, Spanish)
• Central Organization of Finnish Trade Unions SAK (Finnish, Swedish, English, German, French, Spanish, Estonian, Russian, Polish)
• Electrical Workers' Union (Finnish, Swedish, English, Estonia, Polish, Russian)
• Finnish Confederation of Professionals STTK (Finnish, Swedish, English)
• Metalworkers' Union (Finnish, Swedish, English, Russian)
• Paper Workers' Union (Finnish)
• Service Union United (Finnish, Swedish, English, Russian)
• TEAM (Finnish, Swedish)
• Trade Union for the Public and Welfare Sectors JHL (Finnish, Swedish, English)
• Trade Union Solidarity Centre of Finland SASK (Finnish, English, Spanish)
• Union of Salaried Employees TU (Finnish, Swedish, English)
• Wood and Allied Workers' Union (Finnish, Swedish, English)

LINK PARTNERS

• Representation of Finnish Trade Unions to the EU
• LabourStart
• Finland News by EIN News

GLOBAL CONFEDERATION

• International Trade Union Confederation

GLOBAL UNIONS

• BWI - Building and Wood Workers' International
• EI - Education International
• FIA - International Federation of Actors
• FIM - International Federation of Musicians
• ICEM - International Federation of Chemical, Energy, Mine and General Workers' Unions
• ICN - International Council of Nurses
• IFJ - International Federation of Journalists
• IMF - International Metalworkers' Federation
• ITF - International Transport Workers Federation
• ITGLWF - International textile, garment and leather workers' federation
• IUF - International Union of Food, Agricultural, Hotel, Restaurant, Catering, Tobacco and Allied Workers' Associations
• PSI - Public Services International
• UNI- Union Network International