The new SOTE agreement: general-level pay increases plus continuation of the pay programme
The new SOTE agreement covers a period until the end of February 2028, and its pay increases amount to 7.37%. Most of the pay increases are across-the-board increases (also known as general raises) that are paid for all employees who are covered by the agreement. The pay programme of the municipal and welfare sector continues and brings additional 1.8% pay increases.
The new collective agreement for social and health care personnel, called the SOTE agreement, is ready. The Union Council of Trade Union JHL approved the collective agreement negotiation result in a meeting on 5 May.
The pay increases of the SOTE agreement are on the general level
The new agreement period is a little less than three years and ends at the end of February 2028.
Pay increases in the SOTE agreement in 2025–2028
Pay increases in 2025
- 1 October 2025: a €53 across-the-board increase, at least 2.5%
Pay increases in 2026
- 1 August 2026: a 2.27% across-the-board increase
- 1 October 2026: 0.2% allowance for locally negotiated pay increases (“paikallinen järjestelyerä” in Finnish
- 1 October 2026: a 0.4% allowance for locally negotiated development programme pay increases
Pay increases in 2027
- 1 April 2027: a 2.0% across-the-board increase
- 1 April 2027: a 0.4% allowance for locally negotiated pay increases
- 1 April 2027: a 0.4% allowance for locally negotiated development programme pay increases
Pay increases in 2028
- 1 February 2028: a 1.0% allowance for locally negotiated development programme pay increases
The agreement period is two months shorter than for example that of the technology industry, and therefore the total sum of pay increases looks slightly smaller. However, when the duration of the agreement period is considered in the calculation, the pay increase per month is at the same level as in the industrial sectors. In other words, the pay increases follow the general level.
The agreement’s pay increases in 2027 are tied to the agreements of the technology industry. If the collective agreement of the technology industry employees is terminated before the third year and the collective agreement pay increases of these employees change, the pay increases of the SOTE agreement will change as well. This would not affect those pay increases that are part of the pay programme.
New night work experiment
A number of changes to the details of the collective agreement were also agreed in the negotiations.
– The working time experiment for night work in years 2026 and 2027 is a significant reform. Regular working hours are reduced to 36 hours per week in this experiment, describes JHL’s Bargaining Specialist Marko Heikkinen.
Provision about eating during working hours can be agreed differently with a local agreement in the agreement period. It is also possible to agree locally about attending training that is covered in the working hours chapter and, to employees’ advantage, about going to medical tests that a doctor has ordered.
Provisions on six-week adjustment period in period-based work and on getting full days off for working on mid-week holidays, which were agreed for a fixed term earlier, have now become permanent.
Your trade union JHL negotiates on a number of collective agreements in 2025. Follow the negotiations on our website.
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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 expert, a cleaner, a cook, a secretary, a security guard or a train conductor, and we are your trade union!
