Archive

Helsinki (25.06.2015 - Heikki Jokinen) The Helsinki Court of Appeal has ruled that the so-called collective agreement which was concocted by employers for those employed distributing unaddressed mail and free-sheet newspapers is not legally valid.

The case is unique in Finland. From the end of 2009 there has been a collective agreement in place of a generally binding character in this field of work. Employers were unhappy with it and decided to set up their own ‘trade union’ Suomen Mainosjakajien Etujärjestö SME.

The new organisation was not doing anything bona fide trade unions do. It has no office, no staff, no unemployment fund and no shop stewards. It has no activities other than agreeing on terms of work with employers.

Helsinki (16.06.2015 - Heikki Jokinen) The Trade Union Confederations accept a negotiated continuation of the national pact for employment and growth. This was initially settled in October 2013 for a two-year period with an optional third year. Now this option has been agreed upon.

Basically, the agreement will raise pay by 16 euro a month but at least by 0.43 per cent. This means that incomes of under 3 720 euro a month will get a flat rise of 16 euro and higher salaries will see an increase of 0.43 per cent.

The unemployment insurance contribution will go up by 0.5 percentage points for both employees and employers. This contribution covers a part of unemployment benefits.

All three Trade Union Confederations Akava, SAK and STTK accept the negotiated proposal.

Helsinki (12.06.2015 - Heikki Jokinen) Discussion on the so-called social contract is becoming ever more heated in Finland. The new right wing Government wants to squeeze an agreement out of the labour market organisations before the end of August this year. The Trade Union Confederations wish to delay the deadline for a conclusion to these negotiations to the autumn of 2016.

The trade union movement has stated very clearly that they will first negotiate on the optional third year of the national pact for employment and growth. This centralised agreement sets pay rises to an almost zero level in order to help the Finnish economy.

Helsinki (29.05.2015 - Heikki Jokinen) The idea for a labour market social contract is back. Earlier in May PM Juha Sipilä presented his ideas to the labour market organisations on extending Finnish working hours and other changes to the terms of employment. The negotiations fizzled out.

Now Finland's new government has taken a different tack. If the labour market organisations do not accept the list of measures proposed by the government, extra budgetary cuts will be imposed, along with further tax levies, totalling 1.4 billion euros altogether. But if the government list of measures is adopted there will be a ‘sweetener’, a one billion euro cut in taxes.

The Government Programme promises to present an exact list of proposals before the end of July and the labour market organisations will be obliged to commit broadly to the agreement before the end of August.

Helsinki (15.05.2015 - Heikki Jokinen) A private unemployment fund is tempting Union members away from their unions and join their fund instead. Unions are finding new ways to react.

Traditionally, the unemployment funds in Finland have been connected to trade unions, but since 1992 there has been a private unemployment fund YTK, too. This has caused some confusion among wage and salary earners, as the Fund has been marketing itself aggressively as an alternative to the trade unions and their unemployment funds.

In fact it is nothing of the sort, as it offers no other services than unemployment benefit. It is keen to stress that its fee is lower than the one paid in membership dues to the union - for all its services and the fund combined.

Trade unions are now campaigning to make it clear what exactly is the difference between a union with its broad services including collective bargaining and a private unemployment fund. The allowances i.e. earnings related benefits in all unemployment funds are the same as these are defined by the state.

Helsinki (11.05.2015 - Heikki Jokinen) The attempt by the Prime Minister-designate Juha Sipilä to create a social contract between labour market organisations has failed.

Centre Party leader, Juha Sipilä is currently leading negotiations to form a new government in Finland following the parliamentary elections held on April 17.

As a part of this process he announced his wish to draft a ”social contract” between the labour market organisations within a very brief time frame.

Sipilä presented three questions to the labour market organisations: how to create a five per cent leap in productivity, how to lower the threshold of employment and how to use the unemployment budget in a more activating way?

JHL (30.04.2015 - Heikki Jokinen) One out of ten Finnish MPs is a member of JHL following the Parliamentary elections April 17. Of the 200 seats, which make up the Finnish Parliament, 21 were won by members of the Trade Union for the Public and Welfare Sectors JHL.

”It is a great result”, says JHL chairperson Jarkko Eloranta. ”I wish luck, energy and wisdom to all those who now begin to work in this dignified task under demanding circumstances.”

Out of 21 JHL members elected to Parliament 16 belong to the Social Democratic Party and two to the Left Alliance. The remaining three seats went to Centre Party, Christian Democrats and the Finns Party.

Helsinki (28.04.2015 - Heikki Jokinen) The share of trade union members is still strong in the Finnish Parliament after the elections on April 17. At the same time it was the worst performance for the left since the first elections in 1907.

Many new MPs have long-standing and extensive trade union experience. The former chairperson of the Central Organisation of Finnish Trade Unions SAK Lauri Ihalainen was re-elected to Parliament. He is the social democratic Minister of Labour in the outgoing government.

Former chairperson of Trade Union Pro Antti Rinne, also became a newly elected member of Parliament. He is currently Chairperson of the Social Democratic Party of Finland and is still the Minister of Finance until the formation of a new government.

Jaana Laitinen-Pesola, who represents the centre-right National Coalition Party, was chairperson of the Union of Health and Social Care Professionals Tehy 1997-2013. She has also been vice chairperson of the Finnish Confederation of Professionals STTK.

JHL (31.03.2015 - Heikki Jokinen) The privatization, or outsourcing, of municipal services in Finland has not exactly been a success story. Many municipalities are either considering reclaiming services which have previously been outsourced or have already done so.

The trend to reclaim (i.e. remunicipalise) previously outsourced services results from a number of reasons, such as high costs, doubts about quality, possible inferior terms of employment for employees, lack of democratic control and prioritising profits over the needs of citizens while ignoring the question of tax avoidance concerning some of the private service providers.

Helsinki (22.04.2015 - Heikki Jokinen) Nokia’s acquisition of the business operations of the French telecoms equipment company Alcatel-Lucent is about to be realised. The news has made Finnish trade unions worried for jobs.

The merger of two major companies will probably mean job cuts, but where? Nokia has set itself the goal of saving 900 million euro by 2019 through ”operating cost synergies”.

Nokia has promised not to cut French jobs for two years after the deal is signed. It has pledged its intention to establish a 100 million euro fund to invest in start-ups in France.

Nokia also intends to maintain employment in the ”key sites” of Villarceaux and Lannion.