Clear majority of Finns prefer five more days off annually
to a two per cent pay rise

Helsinki (04.09.2007 - Juhani Artto) According to a new opinion survey, Finns would rather have five more days off annually than to receive a two per cent pay rise. This is the result of the survey, commissioned by the Union of Salaried Employees TU and conducted by TNS Gallup.

For an employee who earns EUR2.500 per month and has a 40 hour working week the two options calculatorily have identical values.

A clear majority of the respondents in all age groups preferred the " five more days off annually" option. The highest provision (76 per cent) was scored among employees in the 35 to 50 year age group. In the group for those over 50 years of age 70 per cent of the respondents chose the more days off option. And among employees who are under 35 years of age 57 per cent responded similarly.

Even among those whose annual earnings do not exceed EUR25.000 the majority (61 per cent) preferred five days more off annually to a two per cent pay increase. 76 per cent of employees living in the largest urban centres chose the same alternative. In smaller cities and in rural areas almost two thirds of the respondents opted in like fashion.

The large support for extending continuous leisure periods did not come as a surprise to Antti Rinne, the president of the TU. Previously the same trend had been identified in recent questionnaires, carried out among rank and file members.

However, the findings reveal a shift in values from that which prevailed some time ago, Rinne points out.

Rinne interprets this as being due to the ever-increasing demands being made on labour. And in particular to the frenetic pace people must work under resulting in people feeling the need for longer periods of rest and leisure so as to recharge themselves.

In the name of competitiveness, employers try to push the development in the opposite direction, towards longer working hours. In people's minds this would not be the right direction, Rinne stresses.

In the present bargaining round TU aims at both proper pay rises for all and shortening of the annual working hours by 40 hours. At the present moment the Union of Salaried Employees TU is bargaining for new collective agreements in 40 industries, including those such as the technology, building, forest and chemical industries and the communication sector.