Professionals of Business and Technology join Akava’s protest on February 6th

We have patiently tried to engage in dialogue and outline our solutions to the Finnish Government Programme’s issues that have to do with working life. Unfortunately, the politicians and employers have yet to address either our views or those of our central organization Akava.

For this reason, Akava’s Board of Directors decided to organize a political protest, in which Professionals of Business and Technology will also be involved together with other Akava affiliates. 

Political protest on February 6, 2024

Our political protest will be held on February 6, 2024 from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. in Turku, Tampere and the Helsinki Metropolitan Area (Espoo, Helsinki, Kauniainen and Vantaa). 

The walkouts will apply to all our private-sector members in the aforementioned cities, regardless of industry or position. Our public-sector members and other members in public-service employment relationships are not included in the scope of the protests. The protests are aimed at political decision-making, not collective agreements.

We encourage every one of our members in the aforementioned cities to participate in the walkouts!

Why are we taking part in Akava’s protest?

The implementation of the entries in the Government Programme as such would have a negative impact on the everyday life of each of our members. The changes are being implemented at a rapid pace without sufficient impact assessments or time for statements, and the working groups set up by the ministries have not had a genuine opportunity to influence the plans.

Together with our central organization Akava, we have actively offered solution proposals for implementing more balanced measures. Unfortunately, our proposals have yet to be addressed in any capacity, and it is necessary for us to take other measures to express our message more emphatically.

The protest is aimed at signaling that we do not accept that 

• the first day of sick leave would be unpaid 
• adult-education support would be abolished without information on the possibilities of changing fields and developing one’s own competence more extensively during one’s career 
• fixed-term employment contracts could be concluded in the future even if the need for the work were permanent
• the grounds for dismissal would be further lowered

In its press conference on January 22, Akava explained the background to the protest. At the press conference, Ville-Veikko Rantamaula, Vice-President of Akava and Director of Advocacy at Professionals of Business and Technology, also commented on the cuts to unemployment security.