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Machine Supervisors tighten up their cooperation TU (25.02.2010) The Union of Salaried Employees TU and the Union of Machine Supervisors SKL have agreed to cooperate in the energy sector. Both unions belong to the union confederation STTK. The agreement covers all labour market issues and activities. Also, joint industrial action is possible in the future, TU's President Antti Rinne and SKL's President Jukka Lehtinen say. According to Lehtinen closer cooperation is quite natural, as the two unions have cooperated -in the safeguarding of the interests of both sets of members- for a long time already at company level. The new agreement seeks to further unite them and will also help resolve problems at union and workplace levels. In addition, the agreement, signed on Wednesday, is expected to facilitate cooperation in training, international activities and communication. In the future cooperation may be expanded to cover member benefits too. Last autumn, TU signed a similar agreement with the Electrical Workers' Energy companies very profitable In the energy sector collective bargaining will probably begin in March. The present agreement will expire at the end of April. The two unions wish to draw attention to the fact that energy companies are making almost record high profits. Therefore, there is more room for pay rises than the maximum of 0.5 per cent "anchored" by the Confederation of Finnish Industries EK. In SKL and TU TU represents 120,000 salaried employees in the private sector - in industry, construction and services. TU has 46 collective agreements. The Union of Machine Supervisors SKL has about 4,500 rank and file members in the maritime and power industries, both in the private and public sectors.
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