Employee organisations criticise the Office for the Government as Employer for halting the pay and collective agreement negotiations of 76,000 state employees

The way that the Office for the Government as Employer halted the collective agreement negotiations is unprecedented, comment trade unions JHL and Pro and the Negotiation Organisation for Public Sector Professionals JUKO, who represent state sector employees.

The employer party announced on Friday afternoon, 7 March 2025, that they have halted the negotiations, which started in mid-January and where only one pay offer from the employer has been discussed so far.

The employee organisations stress that their objective is to get state sector employees pay rises that correspond to the general level.

The Office for the Government as Employer has offered the employees total pay rises of 6.3%. That is significantly less than the general level, which has settled at 7.8%.

– We have proposed alternatives for resolving the deadlock in the negotiations, but we cannot accept the employer’s offer that is so far below the pay settlements made so far, JHL, Pro and JUKO comment.

The employee organisations are willing to continue the negotiations according to the agreed schedule.

 – It is important for state employees that the negotiations also deal with other points in the collective agreement. Work needs to be developed and such things as location-independent work need to be considered also at the state.

– It’s shocking that the employer halted the negotiations at a time when we need the expertise of our entire security sector and administration to steer Finland through an international crisis, the organisations criticise.

JHL, JUKO and Pro prepare this week actions that aim at continuing the negotiations and concluding the collective agreement.

More information:
Senior Bargaining Specialist Harri Turunen, JHL, 050 461 9303 

Your trade union JHL negotiates on a number of collective agreements in 2025. Follow the negotiations on our website.