Finnish labour market system

Finland´s trade unions are organised under three central organisations. UIL is a member of AKAVA (the Confederation of Unions for Academic Professionals in Finland), which is one of the central organisations.

As regards collective agreements the negotiations are done through negotiation organisations. In the private sector the negotiating body is the Federation of Professional and Managerial Employees (YTN). In the public sector there is two negotiation organisations. One is the Confederation of Employees in Technical and Health Professions KTN and the other Akava´s Public Sector Negotiating Commission, JUKO. UIL is a member of all these negotiation organisations. Approximately 85% of members working in the private sector are covered by collective agreements, while in the public sector the coverage of collective agreements is 100%.

The collective agreements can be generally binding by the nature. The Ministry of Social Affairs and Health confirms generally binding of collective agreements and maintains a list of the generally binding collective agreements. The generally binding collective agreements mean that, the employer shall observe at least the provisions of a national collective agreement considered representative in the
sector in question on the terms and working conditions of the employment relationship that concern to the work theemployee performs.

Any term of an employment contract that is in conflict with an equivalent term in the generally applicable collective agreement is void and the equivalent provision in the generally applicable collective agreement shall be observed instead.

Read more about YTN ja collective agreements from YTN´s websites.

Local bargaining
Bargaining is increasingly conducted at individual workplaces.This applies to both the public and private sector. The issues that are agreed locally by employees and employers may include flexible working hours, part of the collective pay rises, productivity enhancement and staff remuneration schemes.