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Helsinki (02.09.2020 - Heikki Jokinen) Some 250 people sought advice from the Summer Job Helpline, run by the three Finnish trade union federations Akava, SAK and STTK.

Help is given to all who call or make contact; union membership is not necessary. Most of those seeking advice or help are young people, often students.

"Pay was the number one question," says Anni Ritari who ran the service from early May to 28 August. "People asked whether their pay is as it should be and whether they get all the allowances."

Helsinki (26.08.2020 - Heikki Jokinen) The Delegate Council meeting of the Central Organisation of Finnish Trade Unions SAK unanimously elected Jarkko Eloranta to continue as the President of the federation on August 25.

In his speech to the Delegate Council Eloranta voiced concern about the future of the Finnish labour market model which is based on negotiations and contracts.

He pointed out that the employers' federation EK has tried for many years to undermine the range of contracts between labour market parties, like discontinuing the national labour market pacts, terminating the labour market federations' joint agreements and now a determination to end the pay-related unemployment fund system.

Helsinki (26.08.2020 - Heikki Jokinen) The incumbent Akava President Sture Fjäder was re-elected for another four year term. He emerged successful in the Congress elections on 25 August with 578 votes against 292 votes for Maria Teikari.

Sture Fjäder (born 1958) has been the President of Akava, the Confederation of Unions for Professional and Managerial Staff since 2011. Akava is one of the three Finnish trade union federations. At the beginning of this year, Akava had 36 member unions totalling 608,811 members.

In his speech to the Congress Fjäder made particular mention of how the Finnish labour market system was working well during the exceptional time of this coronavirus crisis.

Helsinki (21.08.2020 - Heikki Jokinen) Finland will intensify its battle to prevent the exploitation of foreign labour. A working group from the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment published its proposal for new measures in this endeavour on 20 August. This received immediate support from the trade union movement.

The working group drafted 14 proposals for legislative measures, measures related to the guidance provided by the authorities, and measures designed to improve cooperation. There are also proposals for a more effective system of imposing sanctions on employers guilty of exploitation.

Further resources are to be made available to the authorities, also. Cooperation between the authorities is to be enhanced by improving the exchange of information and the use of surveillance and other data, the working group advises.

Helsinki (13.08.2020 - Heikki Jokinen) In June, a debate on earnings-related unemployment security got underway in Finland. Some right-wing politicians and the employers' federation EK proposed closing down the existing unemployment funds and starting up a new state institution to distribute benefits to everyone under uniform rules.

As things now stand, membership of any of the 24 wage and salary earners unemployment funds confers the right to a higher, earnings-related unemployment benefit.

All but one of these funds works in connection with the trade unions. However, a fund member need not necessarily be a union member and the funds are administered independently.

In August, the Board of the Central Organisation of Finnish Trade Unions SAK said it welcomes the discussion on earnings-related unemployment. Earlier this summer, however, the case being put forward by the employers federation and some politicians was perceived as being just and fair, but without defining precisely how this was to be carried out in practise.

Helsinki (30.07.2020 - Heikki Jokinen) The Confederation of Finnish Industries EK suddenly reversed its position on the issue of earnings-related unemployment benefits. Up until now it has supported the existing system whereby the benefits are paid through the unemployment funds. Since the year 1895, these funds have been mainly administered by the trade unions.

In July, the main lobby organisation of the Finnish business EK said it will support the proposals to establish a single state fund for unemployment benefits. This would make the existing 24 wage and salary earners unemployment funds redundant.

According to EK, this would extend the earnings-related benefits to everyone, as now these are paid only for those who are members of the unemployment funds. As things now stand those people who are not members of unemployment get lower benefits.

Tekijä (15.07.2020 - Heikki Jokinen) It is absolutely vital for a trade union to know who the members are, and what they want, and expect. The union is made up of members and exists for its members.

Even though the roots of the Industrial Union go back to the year 1869 when the first association for book printers in Helsinki was established, the Industrial Union of today began its work at the beginning of 2018.

Now the 2.5 years old union wants to find out what the members are thinking and doing and what they expect from the Union. A major survey from among the Union members was carried out in February and March 2020.

Helsinki (17.06.2020 - Heikki Jokinen) The Finnish Government is planning to extend the obligatory use of personal taxation numbers to those working in the shipyards. On commencement of work, those employed there should have their own personal taxation numbers.

Since 2012, similar personal taxation numbers have been mandatory for those working on construction sites. This has been successful in curbing the grey economy and wage dumping.

All personal taxation numbers are published in the public register. This makes it easier to ensure that all employees are registered as taxpayers before the work begins.

Helsinki (12.06.2020 - Heikki Jokinen) STTK, the Finnish Confederation of Professionals is quite alarmed by the views being expressed right now which are reminiscent of the 1990s when the goal was to make wage and salary earners poorer and the trade union movement weaker.

Using the corona exit as a pretext, vigorous moves are being put forward that have nothing to do with how to survive the crisis, says STTK President Antti Palola.

Helsinki (29.05.2020 - Heikki Jokinen) All parties to the local government collective agreement accepted the deal on Thursday 28 May. The long and difficult negotiation marathon has finally reached an outcome with a new agreement in place.

"Compared with the earlier proposal made by the National Conciliator we were able to get higher pay rises, and earlier dropping of the unpaid working hours", says Päivi Niemi-Laine, President of the JHL - The Trade Union for the Public and Welfare Sectors.

By unpaid work she refers to the annual 24 unpaid extra working hours when the then Government effectively coerced the unions into accepting this and became part of almost all collective agreements in 2016. With the new deal this will end on 30 August 2020.