Helsinki (11.09.2013 - Heikki Jokinen) The presidents of the member unions of the Finnish Confederation of Professionals STTK called for Antti Palola’s candidature for the next President of STTK. Palola was thankful for the unanimous support and said he is ready to undertake the task.
Mikko Mäenpää, the President of STTK since 1999 had already made it be known that he would step down at the STTK Council meeting in December this year.
Antti Palola (54) is current President of the Federation of Salaried Employees Pardia. It is one of the major unions in STTK with some 60,000 members. The majority of their members work in government agencies and institutions and a significant number in public bodies, enterprises, companies, universities and the Social Insurance Institution Kela. Mikko Mäenpää was the chairperson of STTK-J, the predecessor of Pardia before he became the leader of STTK.
By profession Palola is a sea captain. Before Pardia he has been working among other things on the ships, in the Finnish Ship's Officers' Union and as a teacher in naval schools.
In STTK Palola has been Vice President of the board and a member of the Executive Committee since 2005. He is a board member of the European Federation of Public Service Unions EPSU, the Nordic Public Service Unions NOFS and the Finnish Public Services Unions' EU Working Party FIPSU.