Helsinki (01.07.2009 - Juhani Artto) How to relate to lesbians, gays, bisexuals and trans people? Phrased liked that it sounds like a Hamlet-like dilemma but as far as the Finnish trade union movement is concerned the question is no longer a taboo one. That became obvious on Thursday 25 June when, SAK, the largest union confederation in Finland, announced its full and strenuous support for the rights of all LGBT people.
This watershed event took place at a crowded seminar in a classy downtown hotel in Helsinki where SAK published a position paper on LGBT questions.
In his opening speech SAK President Lauri Lyly stressed that it was high time for the labour market organisations to embrace, in the course of their cooperation, all equality issues, inclusive of the rights of sexual minorities and trans people. He challenged other labour market organisations to include the LGBT issues on their agendas.
On Saturday, SAK participated, openly and in what can only be construed as a calculated and supportive measure in the parade and park fest of the Helsinki LGBT Pride week.
Needless to say, all this is new in the Finnish trade union movement. Prior to the step taken last week by SAK, not a single national union, let alone any union confederation, had publicly defended the rights of the LGBT people. Indeed, it is fair to say that out of the thousands of motions that surfaced at congresses of various national unions none have touched on the LGBT issue.
Experiences from collective bargaining so far
Thus the "out of closet" step by SAK -as many speakers at the seminar have characterised it- is, in the Finnish trade union movement, a real break-through in what can only be described as a persistent taboo. In this respect Finnish union organisations have been slower to modernise their agenda than the union movements in the UK, Germany and Sweden, for example.
Active union work for the rights of sexual and gender-minorities in the other Nordic countries and in Germany have been a source of inspiration for SAK, Lyly says in his speech.
However, SAK has not been totally silent and/or passive in relation to the rights of LGBT people. But such activity has taken place behind closed doors - in collective bargaining. According to Lyly, SAK and several of its affiliated member unions have made attempts, in the course of bargaining deliberations, to extend the same rights to people living in same sex partnerships as to those enjoyed by married couples. Thanks to these initiatives, already now, some national collective agreements guarantee this kind of equality to sexual minorities.
Lyly believes that in the next round of collective bargaining this demand will be on the agenda everywhere SAK plays a role.
Training for shop stewards
For SAK the new approach or new agenda is no publicity gimmick. At the seminar SAK representatives already outlined measures that will follow the opening up of LGBT issues. One of the most important tasks is to include them in the training programmes of shop stewards.
Also the trade union media is expected to pick up on LGBT issues. No editor-in-chief can reasonably expect to reject material on the grounds -as has happened in the past- that there are no lesbians, gays, bisexuals or trans people among the rank and file of the union.
In its position paper SAK reminds everyone that, according to various studies, from 10 to 15 per cent of the population belong to sexual minorities. Studies also expose that there continues to be, at work places in Finland, as well as in other countries, discrimination and harassment of sexual minorities and trans people.
"The challenge is to develop, in the working life, mental well-being. The question does not concern sexual behaviour but humanity", SAK Equality Coordinator Linnea Alho, stressed.
"It is better to solve these problems at work places than in court rooms", Alho said. "SAK unions will work for equal rights of their rank and file members regardless the type of family they live in."