Archive


Helsinki  (23.12.2013 - Heikki Jokinen) Ann Selin, president of the Service Union United PAM, is a candidate for the next president of UNI Global Union. She was nominated as a candidate at the UNI World Executive Board meeting in Dublin in November. The elections will take place at the next UNI World Congress in Cape Town in 2014.

"It is an honour to the whole Finnish and Nordic trade union movement and our ways of doing things that I was asked to be a candidate. It is an important international task that will open even greater possibilities to examine how developments in the global labour market are shaping up and to influence these", Ann Selin says.

JHL (20.12.2013 - Heikki Jokinen) JHL has started a new marketing campaign with the slogan May the force be with us. The line is a well-known one from the Star Wars -movies, but it sums up well what the world of trade union work is all about.

The union provides the force for the challenges in working life, but the union itself is also a force, which has the power to influence society and working life. The idea behind JHL’s campaign is to combine and connect elements from popular culture with the real and formidable story of organised labour.

"We are saying that no one has to be left alone. JHL is defending your rights in working life. We also seek to defend welfare services as a whole", says Kauko Ala-Nikula, the JHL Head of Communication.

Helsinki (16.12.2013 - Heikki Jokinen) Riku Aalto, the president of the Metalworkers' Union, put forward the idea for closer cooperation or even amalgamation between industrial unions. He spoke at the Metalworkers' Union National Council meeting.

In particular Aalto mentioned the deepening of cooperation under the auspices of the Council of Finnish Industrial Unions (Teollisuuden palkansaajat TP). This body is a cooperative umbrella organisation made up of 13 industrial unions. Aalto is the chairperson of TP.

Aalto cited falling membership dues, which in turn leads to a reduction of staff in union offices, as a reason for closer cooperation. "We have to be able to consider critically our activities and how to organise these", he stressed.

JHL (16.12.2013 - Heikki Jokinen) The unemployment rate among JHL members is lower than the average. This bit of news was unearthed by JHL magazine Motiivi when studying the statistics. The figures are from last June.

The unemployment rate among the whole labour force was 11.6 per cent and among JHL members 8.1 per cent. Only in one of the 19 counties were the figures not in favour of JHL members.

The lowest unemployment rate among JHL members was in the archipelago county Åland, 1.6 per cent. The unemployment rate in Åland is also low in general, 3.1 per cent.

Helsinki (04.12.2013 - Heikki Jokinen) In January 2014 Pekka Ristelä will become the new director of the FinUnions office in Brussels. FinUnions is the EU office of the Finnish trade union confederations Akava, SAK and STTK. It looks after the interests of Finnish employees and represents more than two million members who belong to the three confederations.

And what are the immediate tasks and concerns awaiting him in Brussels? "Elections to the European Parliament are now just half a year away and we will also get a new European Commission. The Commission’s programme for the next five years is important, as it will set the main policy lines to follow", Ristelä says.

Helsinki (03.12.2013 - Heikki Jokinen) Members of the trade union confederation Akava are prepared to remain longer in working life than before. This is revealed in the latest survey commissioned by Akava and conducted by TNS Gallup.

Akava has been examining attitudes towards retirement among its members for some time now. Surveys aimed at sounding out members as to where they stand on this issue have been carried out in 2007, 2010 and 2013.

Akava, the Confederation of Unions for Professional and Managerial Staff in Finland, is a trade union confederation for those with university, professional or other higher-level educational qualifications. Together, Akava’s 35 affiliates have unionised more than half a million employees and professionals.

JHL (02.02.2013 - Heikki Jokinen) To turn one's back on Europe is no solution to anything in Finland, says JHL President Jarkko Eloranta. He urges Finns to vote in the forthcoming elections for the European parliament next spring.

"This time round we need an election result that conveys a strong desire to change the direction of Europe. There needs to be a demonstrable change towards a more social Europe, towards a workers' Europe and towards a European welfare policy."

We have to work for change and fight for it before the existing policy line destroys what we have been building on this continent for over one hundred years, Eloranta stresses.

Helsinki (26.11.2013 - Heikki Jokinen) A German catering company came close to bringing Finland to a standstill in the middle of November due to so called agreement shopping. A dispute over the Finnair catering service personnel collective agreement led to threats of solidarity strikes by transport staff unions. This would have had the effect of halting Finnish exports and disrupted a major part of goods transport.

The national flag carrier Finnair outsourced its catering services in August 2012 to the German company LSG Sky Chefs, owned by Lufthansa. LSG assumed full managerial and operational responsibility for the in-flight and catering service provider Finnair Catering, and in doing so acquired a new name, LSG Sky Chefs Finland. However, it is still owned by Finnair.

JHL (19.11.2013 - Heikki Jokinen) The JHL Union Council is pressing for a loosening of the austerity policy. According to the Council, the widely endorsed Pact for Employment and Growth brings stability and predictability in the Finnish economy and labour market.

The realisation of the pact should be hailed as a success and sign of mutual respect that is worth fostering. This mutual understanding and agreement shall not be eroded. The employees were very modest in their demands and in some cases had to endure a reduction in benefits or agree to pay-cuts.

Notwithstanding these sacrifices, temporary lay-offs and redundancies are increasing in the public sector. These measures and cutting back on services and outsourcing do not bring sustainable development. The end result is only more problems.

Helsinki (15.11.2013 - Heikki Jokinen) Finnish companies operating in Mexico are beginning to accept free trade union activities in their factories, reports the Finnish watchdog Finnwatch. Metso has already removed the exclusion clause restricting the freedom to associate from their collective agreement.

In December 2012 Finnwatch issued a report focusing on Finnish companies operating in Mexico. The companies breaching employees’ rights were Huhtamäki, Kone, Luvata and Metso. The PKC Group had already earlier been exposed for similar unjust behaviour. The report was part of a Finnwatch programme that is supported by the trade unions JHL, Pro and Team, among other sponsors.