|
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 system of job alternation leave was established in 1996 and made
permanent a few years ago.
To date thousands of employees have availed of the scheme of job alternation
leave annually. Last year over 17,000 took the opportunity. The scheme was
most popular
among employees, organized in the STTK unions. In the year 2010 about 1.3
per
cent of their rank and file members were on job alternation leave.
The corresponding figure for employees, organized in unions affiliated in
Akava, was 0.9 per cent and for rank and file members of SAK unions 0.7 per
cent. In Akava's largest union, the Trade Union of Education, 2.1 per cent
of the rank and file members took job alternation leave in 2010.
The confederations strenuously insist that the planned cuts run counter to
the generally
approved goal of extending working careers, a goal emphasized in the
government programme. The union confederations wish to make clear that job
alternation leave has proved to be an effective
way of improving well-being at work.
And, the scheme has also other useful qualities. It has created
relevant and decent job opportunities for a large number of unemployed
people. This is due to the
system's requirement: The employer must hire an unemployed jobseeker to
replace the employee on job alternation leave.
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:
|
