Helsinki (09.04.2002 - Juhani Artto) The Chemical Workers’ Union and the Textile and Garment Workers’ Union are to merge in spring 2004. A letter of intent concerning the merger was signed by the unions in March. This conclusion is based on a careful analysis of the strengths and weaknesses of the merger strategy.
The main goal of the merger is to improve the effectiveness of work to safeguard workers’ interests and provide services to members.
The Chemical Workers’ Union currently has 34,600 members, 60 per cent of whom are men, while the Textile and Garment Workers’ Union has 16,300 members, 86 per cent of whom are women.
The two organisations have many common features providing a solid basis for the merger. The Chemical Workers’ Union is a party to seven major national collective agreements, while the Textile and Garment Workers’ Union has two. All of these agreements will remain in force, as the organising fields of the two organisations do not overlap. The Chemical Workers’ Union represents workers in the chemical, petrochemical, rubber, pharmaceutical, glass and porcelain industries and the laundry workers.
Both unions have a sound financial position and a long tradition of providing broad educating for their activists and rank and file members. Both organisations elect their leaderships by democratic procedures, resulting in clear social-democratic majorities. Other elected members of the union management structure are either members or supporters of the Leftist Alliance.
The unemployment rate of the Chemical Workers’ Union rank and file is about ten per cent. The rate in the Textile and Garment Workers’ Union is about 20 per cent. Both rates are currently decreasing.
Jobs in the textile and garment industry have decreased dramatically since the 1970s. In the same way as for this industry in other Western European countries, the Finnish textile and garment sector could not respond effectively to the competition from low-pay economies. While several companies have survived by beginning to subcontract in low-pay countries, many others have simply ceased trading. In the first wave of job losses in the 1970s the target was Portugal. This was followed by the Far East and, since the early 1990s, Estonia and the neighbouring regions of Russia.
Last autumn and winter the Chemical Workers’ Union waged a high-profile campaign against the merger negotiated by the owners of the Finnish Kemira and the Swedish Dynea. Kemira is a listed company in which the Finnish State is principal owner. In a rare revolt, which was spearheaded by the Chemical Workers’ Union, the Finnish Parliament rejected the government's proposal for the merger.
Working in a shrinking industry, the Textile and Garment Workers’ Union has had a lower profile than the Chemical Workers' Union in recent years, but this difference seems to constitute no impediment to the eventual merger planned for spring 2004.