Archive

Helsinki (06.02.2009 - Juhani Artto) This Monday the Finnish Prime Minister Matti Vanhanen voiced his criticism of most Finnish Members of the European Parliament, in relation to the recent voting on the working hour directive. Only two Finnish MEPs supported the proposal, approved by the Council of Ministers and, according to Vanhanen, overwhelmingly approved in Finland across party lines.

Vanhanen's statement was indiscreet and undervalued the rules of democracy, the staff members of the EWCs of eight large Finnish forest industry companies (Stora Enso, UPM, M-real etc.) claimed at their meeting on Thursday. Vanhanen's interference in the independent consideration and voting behaviour of the MEPs, elected by the Finnish people, also shows lack of expertise, the union representatives said.

They wondered whether this was a clumsy attempt by Vanhanen to raise his political profile by walking over the democratically elected representatives in relation to EU matters.

Helsinki (04.02.2009 - Juhani Artto) This Monday the Council of Finnish Industrial Unions TP published an initiative that would facilitate a negotiated agreement, between all labour market organisations, to boost the competitiveness of companies and maintain purchasing power of wage and salary earners.

The agreement would create a peaceful atmosphere for the labour market in the difficult years ahead, TP argues. The agreement would also prevent the worst -case scenario from materialising- mass unemployment.

TP has invited the employer organisations of the industrial sectors and the service sector employer organisations, closely connected with the industry, to negotiations that will take place on 25 February. The goal of the meeting will be to establish whether it’s possible to find common ground in a process that would lead to such an agreement.

Helsinki (27.01.2009 - Juhani Artto) The two largest unions involved in the six industrial unions' amalgamation project (TEAM) will soon decide their respective positions towards the whole project.

Rank and file members of the Chemical Workers' Union will vote on the issue from 5 to 19 February, in a vote which will be binding. And during the same time frame the Metalworkers' Union will hold a consultative referendum but its leaders have promised to honour the position of the majority.

Helsinki (26.01.2009 - Juhani Artto) The major labour market parties announced on Thursday that they have reached common understanding on a few changes in unemployment benefits and the financing of pensions. The organisations behind the proposals are the union confederations SAK, STTK and Akava and the employers' Confederation of Finnish Industry (EK).

The package is a compromise on important social policy issues that have in recent times been under discussion. Some of the issues concerned are also being dealt with by the SATA committee, which is preparing a comprehensive reform of the Finnish social welfare system.

Reactions to the proposals have mainly been positive, especially in the trade union movement. For the latter the negotiations and their outcome are seen as a continuation of the comprehensive income policy agreements.

Helsinki (06.01.2009 - Juhani Artto) At the of November 2008, the number of laid-off employees totalled 12,500, which was three times more than a month earlier.

Total number of registered unemployed jobseekers was 201,200. Of them 40,100 had been unemployed without interruption for more than a year. The number had reduced by 7,300 from November 2007.

Helsinki (30.06.2008 - Juhani Artto) Late May brought to light serious disagreements that may derail the project, known as TEAM, with the intended purpose of amalgamating six industrial unions.

The six unions involved in amalgamation preparations are (rank and file members 1 January 2007)
The Chemical Workers' Union (47,600)
The Electrical Workers' Union (32,300)
The Media Union (24,200)
The Metalworkers' Union (165,500)
The Railway Workers' Union (14,500)
The Wood and Allied Workers' Union (45,600)

Strong doubts about the future of the venture have been expressed by Matti Alakoski, the President of the Electrical Workers Union, and Timo Vallittu, the President of the Chemical Workers' Union. Both of them criticise certain conditions approved by the Congress of the Metalworkers'Union.

Helsinki (19.07.2007 - Juhani Artto) The merger project concerning six SAK unions will go ahead in August. The proposals put forward in April by Lauri Lyly, the director of SAK’s bargaining department, will form the basis for the preparatory work. Also, points raised by the different unions on Lyly’s proposals belong to the starting points.

The preparatory work will be conducted by nine task forces, which are soon to be elected for this purpose. These members will represent expertise in major functions of the unions.

The Paper Workers Union has decided to abstain from the merger talks. Instead of a full merger it seeks closer cooperation with the unions concerned. The union will also have a monitoring status in the merger process.

Helsinki (09.04.2007 - Juhani Artto) A full merger is the more promising option than either closer cooperation or a model somewhere in between these two options. Thus concludes Lauri Lyly, the director of SAK's bargaining department, who was in December 2006 commissioned by six industrial trade unions to map options for their future relations.

The six unions involved are (rank and file members in 2006)
The Chemical Workers' Union (47 600)
The Electrical Workers' Union (32 300)
The Media Union (24 200)
The Paper Workers' Union (47 100)
The Wood and Allied Workers' Union (45 600)
The Metalworkers' Union (165 500)

Lyly proposes that the new union (made up of a coming together of the above), TEAM, as Lyly calls it, would begin to function at the beginning of 2010.

Helsinki (05.04.2007 – Juhani Artto) Over EUR 700,000. - That’s the amount of money the Finnish Electrical workers’ union was able to secure to some 90 Polish electricians who had worked in Finland for only about EUR5 hourly wages.

The blockade and other means, applied by the union, compelled the Polish company MSB to agree on hourly wages from EUR12.30 to EUR14.00. The agreed wages are based on the collective agreement, applicable for electricians at construction sites.

Helsinki (10.02.2007 / edited 12.02.2007 - Juhani Artto) The Electrical workers’ union has succeeded in compelling the Polish company MSB to pay wages in Finland in line with Finnish collective agreements. This is good news for the 88 Polish electricians who worked at the construction site of the huge shopping complex, Ideapark, near Tampere. The centre was opened in December 2006.

The parties have agreed not to publicly disclose the total amount owed in arrears. However, in its press release, the Finnish union describes the arrears as ’large’. In Finland, an electrician usually earns about EUR14 per hour. This is almost three times more than the EUR5 per hour the Polish electricians were originally paid, as the current affairs programme Ajankohtainen kakkonen, in November 2006, claimed when exposing this serious dumping case.