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Helsinki (19.09.2018 - Heikki Jokinen) A number of trade unions have already instated an overtime ban as of Monday 17 September. The unions are demanding that the Government withdraw their planned amendment to the Employment Contracts Act which is aimed at easing the criteria for individual dismissal in businesses employing 20 people or less.

The 220,000 member strong Industrial Union has now called a ban on overtime in almost all of its sectors. The ban will remain in place for the time being, the Union says and adds that it is the first step in what promises to be a protracted campaign of progressive industrial action.

"The Industrial Union will not accept a weakening of the protection against dismissal for anyone. We demand that the government drop the bill immediately, as it would only cause arbitrary layoffs", the Union announce.

Helsinki (04.09.2018 - Heikki Jokinen) A number of trade unions are demanding that the Finnish Government withdraw the planned amendment to the Employment Contracts Act. It is aimed at easing the criteria for individual dismissal in businesses employing 20 people or less.

The Board of SAK, the Central Organisation of Finnish Trade Unions concluded at its meeting on Monday 3. September that all SAK unions are prepared to take measures against the planned amendment. The unions will decide individually what their measures will be.

However, the protests are not limited only to SAK member unions. Some unions from the other two Finnish trade union confederations, STTK and Akava, have already announced they are ready to act, too.

JHL (3.9.2018 - Heikki Jokinen) JHL, the Trade Union for the Public and Welfare Sectors is considering measures should the Finnish Government go ahead with preparations for new legislation to make individual dismissals easier.

In practise this could mean taking industrial action such as a ban on overtime or limited and targeted strikes.

The Union has not specified what types of action would be taken, but mentions that these will be extended gradually. The details and schedule will be announced later, said the Union Executive Committee in its unanimous decision.

Helsinki (28.08.2018 - Heikki Jokinen) The players in the Finnish men's national football team are prepared to cut their pay by 25 - 33 per cent in order to support the women's national team.

Following recent negotiations the new agreement on pay will be signed soon, confirms the Secretary general of the Football Association of Finland, Marco Casagrande to Yle news.

According to the agreement success in the international games like the Union of European Football Associations UEFA Nations League this autumn would bring money for women, too.

"If men are getting money prizes from Uefa, they are ready to give a part of this to women, too", Casagrande says. In effect, this means women would then receive some 10 - 20 per cent of the Uefa prize money available.

Helsinki (17.08.2018 - Heikki Jokinen) The plan for new legislation to ease individual dismissal is hitting sectors where the workforce is primarily made up of women hardest, say trade union leaders Ann Selin and Päivi Niemi-Laine.

Selin is the President of the Service Union United PAM and Päivi Niemi-Laine is the President of the Trade Union for the Public and Welfare Sectors.

The Government proposal is aimed at easing the criteria for individual dismissal in businesses employing 20 people or less.

The proposed legislation will target in particular employees in the service and public services sectors, as these do not often have regulations on dismissals in their collective agreements. Almost 70 per cent of those working in these sectors are women.

Helsinki (07.08.2017 - Heikki Jokinen) Vuokko Piekkala took up her new post as National Conciliator on the Monday 6 August. Immediately after the Finnish Government appointed her she alarmed the trade unions by her comments to the media back in July.

Piekkala is a lawyer and had earlier worked as the labour market director at the Commission for Church Employers. This is one of Finland's central labour market organisations and represents the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland in labour market issues.

The National Conciliator is appointed for a four-year-period. For alternate terms the candidate comes from either the trade union side or employers' side.

The position fell vacant as the previous National Conciliator, former trade union lawyer Minna Helle resigned before the end of her term. At the beginning of June Helle changed her career direction when offered a job as the labour market director at the employers Technology Industries of Finland.

JHL (26.07.2018 - Heikki Jokinen) The new Early Childhood Education and Care Act passed by the Finnish Parliament at the end of June has failed before it got started, says Päivi Niemi-Laine, President of the Trade Union for the Public and Welfare Sectors.

The Next Government must redraft the law and modify it for the benefit of the child, JHL President insists.

The new law claims to focus on the benefit of the child by raising the educational level of the staff and clarifying job titles. Niemi-Laine says that the law reform did not make any relevant change to improve the quality of early childhood education and care or benefit the child in any way.

– The real problems such as groups which are too big or the ratio of employees to children can continue by the decision of this Government, she says.

Helsinki (24.7.2018 - Heikki Jokinen) The Finnish Government will withdraw a planned proposal for amending the Employment Contracts Act by allowing an employer to make, without restrictions, fixed-term employment contracts with anyone under 30 years of age who has been an unemployed job seeker for at least three months.

The existing legislation demands a justifiable reason for a fixed-term employment contract.

Trade union federations are very pleased with the decision. They have been opposing the proposal all the way since it was first announced in April.

The Central Organisation of Finnish Trade Unions SAK insisted in the end of June the Government call a halt to this proposal and other plans to weaken employment security. The Federation made it clear that if these proposals were to go ahead, it would take action at places of employment.

Helsinki (15.06.2018 - Heikki Jokinen) Two Finnish trade unions are to amalgamate. Trade Union Pro and the Federation of Salaried Employees Pardia signed a letter of intent in mid June concerning the amalgamation.

Trade Union Pro with its 110,000 members is the largest private sector union for clerical employees, experts, supervisory and managerial staff. It has a strong presence in industry, finance, ICT, communications and the service industries.

The Federation of Salaried Employees Pardia has 30,000 members working both in the state and private sectors. Most work in governmental offices and institutions, and some work in public utility companies and enterprises, universities and the Social Insurance Institution of Finland.

Both unions are members of the Finnish Confederation of Professionals STTK.

Helsinki (07.06.2018 - Heikki Jokinen) The Finnish Government has in practise ended any tripartite consensus when drafting legislation, according to the Central Organisation of Finnish Trade Unions SAK.

Tripartite negotiations and agreements have long been a well-established way to resolve major social issues. Governments have, until now,  been able to use the knowledge of all parties and engage them in a concerted effort to tackle issues in a practical way and reach common agreement, SAK says.

Thus, tripartite negotiations have, for decades, been the birthplace of many major social reforms. Some recent examples are the national pact for employment and growth in 2015 with ultra moderate pay rises and reform of the pension system in 2014. With genuine tripartite participation it was possible to make changes without political and social turbulence.