Trade union want to have shorter strike notification times

The Finnish trade union Pro wants to have shorter strike notification times to Finland. Currently, the notification time in Finland is 14 days, whereas in EU it is 3 days and in seven member countries of EU, the notification time does not exist. Finland has the tightest notification times in European labor market (in Finnish, tymarkkina) standard. Pro wants to have either the notification period to be reduced to a fair condition, or then have big sanctions to employers when they violate the employees right to strike. According to Pro, it is hard to follow 14 days notification time, since employers have used this time to infringe the right to strike. Pro members have been pressured to leave the union, to move upper positions and train outsiders to do their tasks. For example Forest industries federation has repeatedly accused the staff strikes illegal. The collective agreement of paper industry officials expired on 04/01/2011. After that strikes have been legal. The strikes have enormous affect on companies. Problems pile up day by day, and to strike is more and more expensive for the employers. Due to shortage on the staff and the errors made by unqualified personnel start to accumulate, which is reflected to the quality of work. According to Pro, in the moment of strike the employers have transferred the work abroad, brought person from abroad to work in Finland, and invited the summer workers to do the job of people on strike. The worst is, however, to put the pressure on individual officers mentally during the 14 days notification period.

Trade unions participating gray economy black future campaign

The police of Finland has started new campaign named gray economy black future that encourages young people to reflect on the gray economy and its impact on their lives. The campaign aims to make it clear that each of us is the right person to combat against the gray economy. Finnish trade unions are participating the campaign as well. The gray economy means that employer neglects the payments of statutory duties and social fees of employees (in Finnish: palkansaaja). Gray economy is also the abuse of social benefits, buying and selling pirate products, and in business, leaving the taxes and other statutory payments to be paid. The campaign states that gray and black economy damage to both you and the society as a whole. When some of us dont pay taxes and neglects other obligations, the collected tax revenue is considerably smaller. This will increase taxes and makes managing of publicly funded services harder, including street and road maintenance, health services, and school activities. One of the campaigns idea is to clarify, how the gray economy will affect to employee. Many young persons might not know, that undeclared work will not accrue a pension, or that the employer has not insured the workers against accidents. In gray economy, the sickness

benefit and unemployment compensation are unknown. The campaign states that everyday choices are many times more powerful eroding the gray economy than actions against criminal actions already taken place. The campaign has an informative web page, where quizzes about the subject can be made and a detective story to be read among the accurate info about the subject. There will be ads in radio and outdoor commercials promoting the campaign; the polices and customs cars will be also labeled on the theme for the campaign time. In addition to the Finnish Police force, participants of the campaign are the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health, the Ministry of Justice, Customs of Finland, Finnish Tax Administration, several trade unions like AKAVA, EK, SAK, STTK, PAM and Pardia, the Central Pension Security Institute of Finland, the Food Safety Authority of Finland Evira, the Financial Sector Federation of Finland, RT, the Finnish Transport and Logistics Federation SKAL, Federation of Finnish Enterprises, and Federal of Electrical and Telecommunications Contractors STUL.

Survey on European working hours provides input in Finnish discussion

Finnish confederate trade unions feel it is important to include international and European perspectives in discussion about working hours. There are obvious international trends in working hours and arrangements, and it is beneficial to recognize Finlands situation in comparison to other countries. For this reason, confederate trade unions have arranged a workshop on the topic of working hours to look into Finnish and European working hours. At the seminar, the Research Director of Eurofond, Greet Vermeylen, comprehensively presented the results for Finland and other EU member countries from the survey conducted by the foundation. The central sources of information for the foundation are the surveys it conducts: the European standard of living survey, the European standard of working survey and the corporate survey. In the survey conducted by the foundation, topics that were covered were the length of working days, the different types of work time arrangements and how commonly used they each are, the use of work time, and how people balance work and private life. During the last decade, work times have diversified throughout Europe and also in Finland. At the same time, there are huge differences between different countries which are the result of both labor (in Finnish: tyelm) markets and cultural differences. The information derived from the survey is a result of answers provided by citizens and employees, corporate human resources directors and employee (in Finnish: palkansaaja) representatives.

STTK survey 2011: a lack in employee representatives hinders local negotiations

According to a survey conducted by STTK, the Finnish Confederation of Salaried Employees, there is no lack of openings for employee (in Finnish: palkansaaja) representatives. Only 18 percent of respondents to the survey state that they would be prepared to take on employee representative responsibilities. At the same time, 90 percent of respondents that already are employee representatives state that they would be prepared to continue with such tasks. The Secretary General of STTK, Leila Kostiainen, says that the survey shows that the overall situation with employee representatives at workplaces is rather good with 80 percent of respondents stating that there is an employee representative or similar person at their company. What worries Kostiainen, though, is that 16 percent have answered that there is no employee representative at their company. In the private sector, nearly every fourth workplace is missing such a position. Additionally, only about half of the respondents say that the work done by trade unions to develop and better salaries, working hours and the standard of working is visible at their company. Kostiainen raises the question of how these matters are agreed upon at such companies. STTK has emphasized that local negotiations can succeed only if both negotiating sides are balanced. Its difficult to extend local negotiations if theres a lack of employee representatives or if they are not given the opportunity to do their work properly, states Kostiainen. According to the survey men, who represent 24 percent of the respondents, are more willing to be employee (in Finnish: palkansaaja) representatives than women, who represent 16 percent of the respondents. Young people are slightly more willing than people over 50 years of age. The size of a company or the sector the company is in does not seem to have an impact on whether a person is willing to be an employee representative or not.

Contact http://www.sttk.fi/fi-FI/