TU (13.12.2010 - Juhani Artto) The union of salaried employees TU and Suora, the union of the financial sector salaried employees, finally approved their amalgamation on Saturday. The new union Pro will be operative from 1 January 2011. The first steps in the amalgamation process were taken five years ago.
The union has some 130,000 rank and file members in the private industry and service sectors. Within industry members are to be found in the large sectors such as the technology, forest, chemical and food industries. Also ICT, construction, energy and media industries are well represented.
The rank and file members work as salaried employees, hourly paid employees and foremen or supervisors and in expert jobs. The union organizes self-employed professionals, too.
The wide range of representation will be reflected in the large number of collective agreements the new union is expected to have. Pro will inherit 60 collective agreements from TU and Suora all in all. The new union will also inherit sizable financial assets. At present the estimated value of these assets amount to EUR135 million.
Antti Rinne, the President of the TU, was unanimously elected President of Pro. The 48 year old lawyer describes the present situation of the trade union movement as "the most critical period in its history"