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.

Jarkko Eloranta, the President for the Trade Union Public and Welfare Sectors, is satisfied with the pattern of pay rises. Pay rises are to be implemented through a mix of euros and percentages. It is better for low-pay employees than a model that is based purely on percentages.

Of the qualitative changes Eloranta regards improvements in the status of temporary employees as being the most important one.