Preparation of a possible new technical sector collective agreement for municipalities is starting
The technical sector of municipalities needs a more robust collective agreement structure because currently employees who do technical sector work are spread out under different collective agreements. Although the preparation work of a new agreement is starting now, anyone’s collective agreement does not change yet.
Municipalities may get a new collective agreement that would concern the technical sector. Agreeing on the preparation of this agreement was part of the collective agreement solution of the municipal and welfare sector.
Currently two, or even three, different collective agreements are used in the technical sector. The agreements for this sector are the collective agreement for hourly paid personnel in the municipal sector (TTES) and the collective agreement for technical personnel in the municipal sector (TS).
– We agreed on the milestones that can lead into the new agreement entity. At this point anyone’s collective agreement is not going to change yet, JHL’s Bargaining Director Kristian Karrasch sums up.
Employees of the technical sector are spread out under different collective agreements
With the reform of the health and social services, a significant number of employees moved from the collective agreement for technical personnel in the municipal sector (TS) to the general collective agreement for the welfare sector (HYVTES).
On the other hand, the use of the TS agreement has increases in duties that have traditionally belonged under the collective agreement for hourly paid personnel (TTES). Employers also use the general collective agreement for the municipal sector (KVTES) for technical sector work.
– People who work in this sector are spread out under three collective agreements. The purpose of the initiative that was now agreed is to collect the people of the technical sector into one, more robust collective agreement, Karrasch explains.
The preparation work of a new agreement is starting
The TTES and TS agreements get a shared working and negotiation group that is responsible for practical preparations of the initiative. This group also decides how the local pay increase allowances and development allowances of this agreement period are spent. The objective is to bring the terms and conditions of employment in the TS and TTES agreements closer to each other and make the transition into a new agreement easier.
– So far, the only things that have been agreed about the content of the new agreement are some preconditions. The agreement is based on a monthly salary, but will include some pay factors from the agreement for hourly paid personnel, and these will have a significant effect on earnings. The change will be built so that current earnings levels can be secured, Karrasch explains.
The goal is that the new collective agreement for technical sector work, called TATES, could come into force on 1 March 2027. The schedule will become more precise when the work of the working and negotiation group progresses. There is flexibility even until the end of the current agreement period, in late winter 2028.
The change will only become effective if there is a consensus on the content of the new agreement and its terms and conditions of employment. Employees will remain under their current collective agreements until a consensus on the new agreement is reached. The organisations involved in the preparation of the new collective agreement for the technical sector (TATES) are JAU (JHL and JYTY), JUKO and Local Government and County Employers KT.
Your trade union JHL negotiates on a number of collective agreements in 2025. Follow the negotiations on our website.
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