In these stormy times JHL is there for employees – the Union Council meets in Helsinki

Trade Union JHL’s Union Council meets on 30 and 31 October. In the autumn meeting the Union Council discusses next year’s operational plan and budget.

The Union Council of the Trade Union for the Public and Welfare Sectors JHL has assembled for the regular autumn meeting. In the meeting the Union Council discusses next year’s operational plan and budget.

The two-day meeting agenda also includes discussing changes of administration members and initiatives submitted by representatives, branches and joint organisations.

The meeting takes place in Scandic Park hotel in Helsinki on 30 and 31 October.

The trade union defends its members in hard times

The President of JHL’s Union Council Eija Paananen opened the autumn meeting with a speech that dealt with the challenges of the labour market and the political atmosphere.

– The political landscape looks grim. The discussion mostly revolves around what is going to be cut back and how much. This affects strongly the overall atmosphere in Finland.

The cutbacks of the Finnish Government hit also JHL members’ everyday life and work. Hard times underline the importance of trade unions.

– I got involved about thirty years ago, when the economic depression in Finland brought many new members to us. People needed each other at that difficult time, Paananen recalls.

“We have a government that does not care about people with low and medium income”

JHL’s President Håkan Ekström also criticised the Finnish Government’s cutback policy in his labour market overview in the beginning of the council meeting.

– Services that are for everyone and the livelihoods of people with a low income are cut back, and at the same time the owners and those with the largest income still get more favourable treatment, Ekström criticises the Government for increasing inequality.

– The values of people in Finland have hardened. Especially women feel that the society is not fair, Ekström continues.

This is not surprising because this Government’s legislative changes mean less money especially for women and families with children. 

– The export-led pay model that the Government is pushing would make the pay gap of female-dominated occupations permanent. We have therefore demanded that preparations of this law should be stopped immediately.

Important matters are decided next year in collective agreement negotiations and county and municipal elections

The county and municipal elections in April 2025 affect the future of public services. It is important that municipalities and wellbeing services counties take care of their own service production and sufficient personnel resources.

– If a municipality completely abandons their own service production, they may be left with nothing when a crisis hits, Paananen points out to remind how important public services are for security of supply in Finland.

– It’s important for members of this union that decision makers who understand working people’s daily life and working life issues get elected in the county and municipal elections, Ekström emphasises. He encourages JHL members to stand as candidates and make employees heard.

Ekström also talks about the approaching collective agreement negotiations that many JHL’s sectors will have next year. In November we will organise regional events around Finland. In these events the members can hear about the trade union’s overall negotiation goals and tell what they hope from the negotiations.

– Participate in these events if you want to get your message to the negotiators and learn about the themes that we are going to take to the negotiations. 

What is JHL’s Union Council?

The Union Council is Trade Union JHL’s highest executive body. It consists of 120 trade union members who are chosen by election. The current Union Council was elected in 2022. Its term of office is five years. See who are in the Union Council! (in Finnish)

The Union Council meets twice a year, in spring and autumn, to decide about the affairs of the trade union. In addition to these regular meetings, the Union Council can also assemble for extraordinary meetings when needed.

Follow the autumn meeting on our website and in social media

You can follow the autumn meeting of JHL’s Union Council on our website. See highlights from the Union Council meeting in social media in Finnish by following us on X, Facebook and Instagram. #JHLedustajisto