By international standards the level of unionization is very high in Finland.74 per cent of the workers belong to the trade union of their occupation. At the beginning of the 1990s, the figure was as high as 80 per cent.

Local organizations and workplace-specific trade unions and local trade union branches operate as the localized units of the federations. Almost 200,000 people (10 per cent of the membership) are engaged in the various voluntary posts and positions of trust of the unions and local branches.

The confederations of employers are the Confederation of Finnish Industries (EK), the State Employers’ Office, the Commission for Local Authority Employers, and the Commission for Church Employers. The Confederation of Finnish Industries has 43 branch federations and 16,000 member companies. The Commission for Local Authority Employers operates as the employers’ organization and the trustee organization of 431 municipalities and 208 federations of municipalities.

Basis for vollective labour agreements

The federations of trade unions negotiate general framework agreements with the central employers’ confederations. These form the basis for collective labour agreements which are formulated by trade unions and the corresponding employers’ associations. Local agreements drawn up by workers’ representatives and employers are based on the collective labour agreements. Negotiating general incomes policy settlements has been typical of the Finnish system.

Related articles in Kansanvalta.fi:
Trade union activities

Related links:
Confederation of Finnish Industries, EK
The Central Union of Agricultural Producers and Forest Owners, MTK
Central Organisation of Finnish Trade Unions SAK
Finnish Confederation of Salaried Employees STTK
Confederation of Unions for Academic Professionals AKAVA

Updated on March 2, 2007