Helsinki (08.02.2019 - Heikki Jokinen) A total of 3,362 employees lost their jobs in private companies in Finland in the year 2018. This is practically the same figure as for the previous year, when 3,276 people were made redundant in the private sector. In 2016 the number of redundancies was 10,874.
Helsinki (30.01.2019 - Heikki Jokinen) Gross neglect is thought to be the reason for one death in privatised elderly care and this has created a major debate in Finland. However, trade unions have been warning about these problems for a long time.
Five main Finnish labour market organisations are touring the country together to launch a broad debate on working life issues in advance of the parliamentary elections on April 14. All three trade union confederations will take part, as well as two major employers associations.
Gender equality has become far more prevalent among trade unions in Finland. A quick look at how their boards are composed is evidence enough. In many unions the share of women and men on boards mainly reflects the membership, with few exceptions.
Helsinki (20.12.2018 - Heikki Jokinen) Only 30 per cent of the unemployed have been able to meet the new criteria to get uncut unemployment benefit under the amended employment security legislation, according to a survey conducted among 6,000 members of unemployment funds run by the unions belonging to the Central Organisation of Finnish Trade Unions SAK.
Helsinki (07.12.2018 - Heikki Jokinen) Labour costs in Finland were, on average, 34.2 Euro per hour in 2016, according to Statistics Finland in its Labour Cost Survey published in November 2018.
Helsinki (22.11.2018 - Heikki Jokinen) A trade union movement working party called Itset has published a list of goals to improve the situation of self-employed workers.
The trade unions are ready to accept the tripartite proposal for an amendment to the Employment Contracts Act concerning the disputed dismissal paragraph. In practise the amendment will not change anything. Industrial action is over now, too.
The trade unions have interrupted their ongoing acts of industrial action to negotiate with the Finnish Government on their new proposal for labour market legislation.
What the strike means? This page provides answers to frequently asked questions (FAQs).
The Trade Union for the Public and Welfare Sectors JHL is continuing its political industrial action, in opposition to the lay-off bill. The union’s Executive Committee has decided to initiate a political strike on 22 October. The duration of the strike is two days and it will impact cleaning, property maintenance, food services and sports and culture services.
PM Sipilä wants to undermine trade union movement resistance to the planned law allowing for easy dismissal in small companies by calling for a confidence vote in Parliament.
The dispute over Government efforts to make it easier to dismiss employees in small companies has not abated. Quite the contrary.
More than 70 companies, trade unions and NGO's are campaigning for a Finnish law on mandatory human rights due diligence. The campaign called Ykkösketjuun is coordinated by the Finnish industry watchdog Finnwatch.
Helsinki (03.10.2018 - Heikki Jokinen) The Union of Professional Engineers in Finland IL has added its weight to the campaign to defend employees against the planned legislation to ease individual dismissals.
Five unions are to stage a one day strike on Wednesday 3 October.
Why has JHL decided to launch an overtime and shift-trading ban as a means of political industrial action? This page provides answers to frequently asked questions (FAQs)
Helsinki (28.09.2018 - Heikki Jokinen) The neoliberal think tank Libera has filed a complaint against State of Finland to the EU Commission concerning the generally binding collective agreements in Finland. Libera claims these are an obstacle to a free market and competition.
The Trade Union for the Public and Welfare Sectors JHL is launching an overtime and shift-trading ban in almost all of its sub-sectors as of the beginning of October. The ban will remain in force until further notice. JHL is also prepared to expand the industrial actions, if the preparations for the lay-off bill continue.
Helsinki (19.09.2018 - Heikki Jokinen) A number of trade unions have already instated an overtime ban as of Monday 17 September. The unions are demanding that the Government withdraw their planned amendment to the Employment Contracts Act which is aimed at easing the criteria for individual dismissal in businesses employing 20 people or less.
(3.9.2018 - Heikki Jokinen) JHL, the Trade Union for the Public and Welfare Sectors is considering measures should the Finnish Government go ahead with preparations for new legislation to make individual dismissals easier.
Vuokko Piekkala took up her new post as National Conciliator on the Monday 6 August. Immediately after the Finnish Government appointed her she alarmed the trade unions by her comments to the media back in July.
The new Early Childhood Education and Care Act passed by the Finnish Parliament at the end of June has failed before it got started, says Päivi Niemi-Laine, President of the Trade Union for the Public and Welfare Sectors.
Helsinki (24.7.2018 - Heikki Jokinen) The Finnish Government will withdraw a planned proposal for amending the Employment Contracts Act by allowing an employer to make, without restrictions, fixed-term employment contracts with anyone under 30 years of age who has been an unemployed job seeker for at least three months.