The member comes first for JHL – we protect your rights and negotiate the best possible terms and conditions of employment for you
Trade Union JHL wants to take a good care of its members. We represent your interests firmly in collective agreement negotiations and counsel you if you encounter problems in your workplace. You can also enjoy a multitude of membership benefits around Finland.
JHL is the best trade union for you if you work in the welfare sector or in public services.
We negotiate in total approximately 100 collective agreements in the public and private sectors. We are the most diverse trade union in Finland: our members work in about one thousand different occupations in six occupational sectors.
Our membership fee is very affordable, and full-time students even get the student membership for free.
We actively promote our members’ interests and stay sharp at bargaining tables. Defending and improving your terms and conditions of employment is our most important task. The more members we have, the more capacity we have to protect your interests.
It’s very likely that we are the right trade union for you, too. If you are not sure, you can easily check from our Membership Service whether JHL is a fitting union for your occupation.
You can join also the JHL Unemployment Fund. Unemployment fund membership gives you financial security in case of unemployment or a temporary lay-off.
Fun activities and serious support
We organise both national and regional activities that are specifically designed for young union members and students. Everyone under 35 can join our youth activities. We also organise special activities for members with an immigrant background.
If you are a full-time student, you can join JHL for free!
Each member of Trade Union JHL automatically belongs to one of JHL’s branches. The branch is determined by the member’s place of residence, occupational sector and workplace. A branch is a member’s home base. Union branches work to improve the working conditions of their members, as well as provide recreational activities.
In a workplace, a shop steward is the union representative of those employees who are members of Trade Union JHL. Your shop steward is the first person you should contact if something in your job does not seem right or if you have a question. The shop steward helps with problems and contacts the union in more complicated matters.
Occasionally, conflicts may arise between an employee and their employer, and the employee needs help. If the matter cannot be resolved in other ways and legal action is needed, JHL’s free legal aid is an invaluable membership benefit.
If your, your shop steward’s and your union branch’s efforts to resolve a disagreement in your workplace do not produce the desired outcome, your case may qualify for JHL’s legal aid. Learn more about Trade Union JHL’s discretionary legal aid.
JHL has achieved significant legal victories for its members.
For example, in late 2024 the Labour Court of Finland ordered the city of Kuopio to pay huge compensations to employees in a court case concerning the working times of rescue service personnel. The city was ordered to pay more than 4.6 million euros of unpaid salaries to employees of the Rescue Department of North Savo.
Free training, holiday accommodation and insurances
JHL members can get training in our excellent courses.
Our training is mostly free of charge – your trade union JHL will take care of travel expenses, course fees, accommodation and meal expenses. You can check the upcoming courses for example in the course and event calendar (in Finnish). Most of our courses take place at JHL Institute in Helsinki.
JHL also offers financial support for your open UAS and open university studies.
JHL has membership benefits for both working life and leisure time.
Trade Union JHL offers its members an extensive travel insurance and a non-occupational accident insurance, as well as a nice discount on other insurances.
In addition to all this, we offer holiday locations at a great price, and a huge number of other exclusive partner offers for our members.
Don’t wait, join today!
Join JHL!
JHL is the most diverse trade union in Finland. Our members work in about one thousand different occupations in welfare and public services. You can be for example a social welfare or health care professional, a youth worker or an early childhood education and care professional, a cleaner, a cook, a secretary, a security guard or a train conductor, and we are your trade union!
