Trade Union News from Finland
Tekijä (04.02.2026 - Heikki Jokinen) Some 12 per cent of the labour force in Finland are of foreign background. In the Industrial Union, the percentage is four. Now, the union is working determinedly to reach out even further and organise all workers with a foreign background.
Unfortunately, labour exploitation occurs now and then among workers with a foreign background. For a trade union fighting this is a key priority. In this work, it is essential to be able to reach workers in the various workplaces and face-to-face.
The union office does not have all the language skills needed, nor the daily contacts in workplaces to extend its reach broadly enough to workers with a foreign background. For this reason, the union is asking its members to help with a low-threshold activism.
Tekijä (17.12.2025 - Heikki Jokinen) Members of the Industrial Union welcome foreign colleagues, as long as their terms of employment follow Finnish standards and regulations. So say almost nine out of ten in the union members' panel.
In September 2025, the union commissioned an open members' panel survey for all members in working life. A total of 3,877 people joined up to share their opinions.
"Work-based immigration is acceptable as long as Finnish working conditions are complied with", is one of the statements the panel members were asked to evaluate. 87 per cent agreed or strongly agreed with the statement. Only five per cent strongly disagreed, and six per cent disagreed.
- Members accept workmates who come from abroad. However, union members have placed some conditions on this, says Timo Nevaranta, the Head of Public Relations at the union.
Tekijä (05.11.2025 - Heikki Jokinen) Many people believe that Finnish public mid-week holidays with pay are based on legislation. Wrong. The only paid day off by law is Independence Day in December. All other public mid-week holidays (arkipyhä) with pay exist thanks to the collective agreements made by the trade unions.
During the course of a year, there are a maximum of eleven such public holidays that may take place on weekdays, not on the weekend. The number of such days varies from year to year.
Depending on the collective agreement, the mid-week public holiday is usually a free day. This is invariably the case for those with a monthly salary. They get their normal salary and a day off.
Tekijä (13.08.2025 - Heikki Jokinen) Shop stewards are a crucial part of the union. They are the people the union members trust with their everyday problems. They are the people who are there to ensure that workers' rights, collective agreements, and laws are respected in the workplaces.
In every workplace, covered by an Industrial Union collective agreement, employees can elect a union member as their shop steward (luottamusmies). The elections are held every two years. Any union member can be a candidate in his or her workplace, and all members have the right to vote.
The tasks of a shop steward are to negotiate, make agreements, settle disputes, and channel information between the employees and the employer. To this end, the collective agreements guarantee training, remuneration, and paid time off for these tasks. In companies with more than 400 employees, a shop steward is a full-time job.
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