On Women’s Day, we demand equality and honour strikes
Did you know that Women’s Day is held to honour a strike? Equality still isn’t reality in working life, so Women’s Day encourages to make noise to improve the terms and conditions of employment in female-dominated low-pay sectors.
Traditionally, International Women’s Day is celebrated with flowers, boxes of chocolate and small gifts on 8 March. Most people regard it as good manners to make women happy one day of the year without thinking any further. Women’s Day, i.e. United Nations Day for Women’s Rights and International Peace, is a strong driver of change, which is reflected in its background and purpose. Even today, we should remind ourselves of this.
Women’s Day’s origins lie in a strike
The first Women’s Day was celebrated in the United States in 1909. The purpose was to honour the previous year’s garment worker strike. Already back then, people knew that improvements to women’s position and working life would not be made for free without them being demanded. With the help of strikes and demonstrations, people have made an impact to society by demanding that women get the right to vote, the right to work, the right to vocational training, and that work discrimination is ended.
Defending and further promoting rights isn’t easy – it wasn’t easy before and it isn’t easy now. Political strikes and demonstrations are citizens’ fundamental rights prescribed by law. If they had never existed, the history and modern day of women would look completely different.
Long-term negotiation and agreement matter. Looking back, we see that Finland has come a long way although the path has been rocky. There’s still plenty to do for equality.
Strikes and demonstrations aren’t anyone’s goal, but decision makers don’t always hear our voice without them. Participating in a demonstration no longer leads to imprisonment although the Government of Finland is planning a personal strike fine as a punishment for participation.
Trade Union JHL works for equality
It is still necessary to be active and utilise the strength in our numbers. Gender segregation in the occupations of men and women continues because the pay level of female-dominated occupational sectors doesn’t attract boys and men to seek jobs in those sectors.
When salaries are reviewed, working with machines still seems to be more valued than, say, raising and caring for children. Furthermore, work and protective clothes aren’t distributed evenly in male and female dominated sectors, not even in cases where the employer and weather conditions are the same in different tasks.
We will not get rid of the pay gap if the Government’s plans concerning the export-led pay model become a reality. Export-led pay model means that other sectors must not exceed the pay raises of the export industry. If this becomes a reality, it wouldn’t be possible for female-dominated sectors that are in a pay gap to catch up with sectors with better pay.
The Government also wants to slow down women’s progression in working life by abolishing adult education benefit which enables a person to train for a new occupation. The same goes for job alternation leave on which one can take care of one’s parents. In addition, the social security of single parents will be cut, which is short-sighted. This directly affects children’s chances of a safe childhood, although that is the fundamental right of each child.
The keys to success aren’t in everyone’s own hands alone – we need the security provided by society. We must look after those who have the weakest position. With their work, trade unions aim for all of us to have a chance to be the best we can in life. JHL trains, encourages and walks by its members’ side. During difficult times, we unite our forces and look after each other in the spirit of Women’s Day. There are now serious grounds to take action.
The Government’s anti-employee policy has been a wake-up call for professionals. As a result, a record number of new members has joined JHL. You, too, should get involved to promote the realisation of equality in working life.
Strikes 2024 – Serious grounds
The Government of Finland is making cuts that hit employees and people with a small income. The Government is going to bring misery to working life and harshly weaken social security. The list of planned cuts also includes limiting the right to strike.
The strikes in spring 2024 are political strikes that oppose the Government Programme’s weakenings to working life.