Professionals of Business and Technology helps its members get organized in the workplace and negotiates its members’ collective agreements, as well.

When it comes to organized labor, Finland has a long tradition of very active trade unions that have really made a difference in Finnish society.

– Finland is a model country for organized labor, and the right to assembly holds true in the workplace. Anybody can join a trade union, says Special Advisor Jenni Lakso from Professionals of Business and Technology.

Trade unions are key in negotiating collective labor agreements for workers. The collective agreement (TES and VES) is an agreement negotiated by an industry’s trade union and employers’ federation, covering a range of terms and conditions related to work (including sick pay, holiday pay, notice periods and the shop steward system).

The terms agreed in the collective agreement constitute the minimum terms and conditions that employers must comply with regards to all their employees.

Better than the law

Special Advisor Joonas Kopra notes that while there is legislation in place, too, the collective agreement system expands the benefits package for the worker.

– For example, holiday pay is not mentioned in the law at all, it comes entirely from collective agreements, he says. Similarly, index-based raises in salary levels are due to collective agreements. 

Professionals of Business and Technology negotiates its members’ collective agreements for the public and private sectors through its Akava-based (employees with academic degrees) negotiation organizations: Federation of Professional and Managerial Staff YTN for the private sector and Negotiation Organization for Public Sector Professionals JUKO for the public sector.

– Via YTN and Juko, we are able to bring up issues that are important to our membership and pursue change in the workplace, says Kopra. Last year, for example, there were improvements in the national family leave system thanks to this unified action. 

Professionals of Business and Technology are also very active in the development of labor legislation, adds Kopra. – We are impacting the working life also by contributing to the legislation process, he says, pointing out that not every sector has a collective agreement to fall back on.

Personnel representatives shaping better workplace conditions

In the workplace, the membership is represented by YTN and JUKO shop stewards, employee representatives, staff associations and occupational safety representatives.

Jenni Lakso explains that these personnel representatives actively participate in the development of their workplace’s working conditions and terms of employment, as well as engage in dialogue with the employer.

– While YTN and Juko take care of the collective agreements, the personnel representatives help to work out the details in the workplace, bringing a degree of local flexibility to the process, she says.    

For international workers in Finland, Lakso offers this advice: find out who is the personnel representative in your organization and go introduce yourself.

– The representative is a great source of information in all workplace related matters.

Text: Sami Anteroinen

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