Three quarters (76 %) of those who replied to the STTK membership surwey in 2009 were female. The average age of all the respondents was 47, half of whom were aged 48 or more.
The employment relationship of the respondents
Four of every five respondents (82 %) were in full-time employment. 2 % of the respondents were unemployed, whilst the corresponding figure in 2007 was 4 %. Less than 1 % of the respondents were temporarily laid-off – four times as many men were laid-off as were women.
Of those who were working full-time 81 % were in permanent employment. Less than one tenth of the total (8 %) were working on a short-term contract. The percentage of people on a short-term contract has slightly fallen since 2007, the figure then being 10 %. Of men, 3 % were on a short-term contract and of women, one in every ten. One in three of those in the under 35 age group, who were working full-time, did so on a short-term contract (34 %) – of men one in ten and of women four in ten (42 %). Additionally, the percentage of employees working on a short-term contract varied from one sector to another.
It is hoped that the next bargaining round would deliver more security
The current collective agreements will, for the most part, expire in early 2010. The respondents were of the opinion that, in the next bargaining round, the most important goals were to be those of
- improved employment security and greater security within the changing working environment (44 %)
- improved job security (41 %)
- pay increases (37 %)
- the development of a more flexible working time (27 %)
The aims of shorter working hours (10 %), an improvement in the position of employee representatives (11 %) and lower income taxes (16 %) were regarded as being of less importance.
Improved employment security and greater security within the changing working environment, improved job security, and an improvement in the position of employee representatives were regarded by the older respondents as being more important than they were by the younger respondents, for whom working and family life balance and the development of flexible working hours were more of greater importance. Those who are employees of the health care sector (45 %), or of the municipal sector, were of the opinion that pay increases would be the most important issue in the next bargaining round.
The importance of pay rises in the next bargaining round was less important, on average, for the employees in the industrial sector or in specialised professions. The latter groups of employees placed, on average, more emphasis on the importance of an improvement to employment security and to security within the changing working environment as being an item in the next labour market bargaining round.
These results show that the respondents give priority to security as a goal in the forthcoming labour market bargaining round. According to the results of this survey, increases of pay are only the third most important issue.
The preference is for income tax to be kept at the present level with excise duties to be raised
Over half of the respondents would prefer to keep the level of income tax , estate duty and company tax unchanged. The same opinion applies to the level of environment and energy taxation as nearly half of the respondents (48 %) would prefer to retain these at the current levels. 62 % of the respondents would like to reduce the rate of value added tax. On the other hand, nearly half of the respondents (48 %) would prefer an increase in capital gains tax and two thirds of the respondents (67 %) would raise excise duties.
The older the respondent, the more likely was it that they would prefer to see an increase in the level of capital gains tax. Nearly four fifths (78 %) of those who were under 35 years of age would increase excise duty. Lower environmental and energy taxation were preferred particularly by those who live in Northern Finland, in Oulu Province (47 %) and in Lapland (44 %). Only one third (30 %) of those who live in the Greater Helsinki area would raise the level of environmental and energy taxation.
The results show a preference for an increase in the level of taxation on items with a behavioural impact, ie. an increase in taxation on detrimental substances or activities, although this was selective. Higher duties were readily acceptable for substances which are hazardous to health (alcohol, tobacco and cigarettes), but not for those activities which are detrimental to the climate and the environment. A lower level of indirect taxation was also preferable.
The respondents see faults in the social security system
Nearly half of the respondents (49 %) were of the opinion that the current system of social security did not encourage people to actively seek employment. More than half of the respondents (56 %) thought that the current social security system provided opportunities for fraud. However, two fifths were of the opinion that social security provided a safety net. A third of the respondents regarded the current social security system as being expensive while not offering good value. The younger the respondent, the more readily they believed that on one hand the social security system encouraged people to seek employment and that on the other hand it provided opportunities for fraud. Nearly three quarters of the respondents who worked in the civil service (73 %) were of the opinion that the current social security system provided opportunities for fraud – however, less than half (47 %) of the employees in the municipal sector were of this opinion.
Those in permanent employment regard the social security system as expensive, poor value and providing opportunities for fraud, more often than do those who are employed on a short-term contract or who are temporary employees.
Three quarters of the respondents (76 %) would be prepared to raise the old age pension, even if this meant that their own tax would increase. In addition, over half of the respondents would be prepared to increase the grants for students, the payments available for the caring of one’s own children at home and also child benefit. The respondents were not as keen on increasing the level of income support (43 %) or the level of the job-seeker’s allowance (37 %). The older the respondent, the more likely it was that they were ready to increase the old age pension, the job-seeker’s allowance and income support. Those who were under 35 years of age would have preferred to raise the level of the benefit available for the caring of one’s own children at home and the child benefit.
It can be deduced from the survey results that the current social security system is not perceived to be working adequately. It is criticised for not encouraging people to seek employment and for being open to fraud. There is also some doubt as to whether it would be possible to combat poverty by means of the current social security system. The provision of a safety net, for example in case of illness, was seen as a positive element of the social security system.
Scarcity of information on equality planning in most workplaces
There are numerous rules and regulations on co-operation, safety at work and equality amongst employees which, according to the law, must be observed at the workplace. Equality programmes have a significant impact on gender equality. Every workplace with more than 30 employees must fulfil the statutory equality planning and assessment obligations.
The survey contained questions on the frequency of regularly conducted equality planning, personnel planning, personnel auditing, assessment of risks and hazards encountered at work. Only 18 % of the respondents reported that regular equality planning was conducted at their place of work. As many as 43 % of the respondents were unaware of any equality planning taking place. Personnel auditing was carried out in one third of the workplaces (30 %). The risks and hazards which were encountered at work were regularly assessed in one of every two workplaces (54 %).
Although the respondents were not well informed on any equality planning, most of them were of the opinion that equality was fairly well or better, implemented at their own workplace, (62 % assessed equality as being very good and 21 % as fairly good). Men and women experienced equality at their workplace very differently from one another. Only 8 % of men had encountered some degree of inequality to at their workplace, whilst amongst women the figure was one in every five.
78 % of the respondents were of the opinion that equality had improved, at least slightly, during the previous two years. One in five thought that the standard of equality had, at least to some extent, deteriorated. This was another area where men and women had different experiences from each other. One in every four women thought that the level of equality had deteriorated whilst only one in every ten men shared this opinion.
Actions before and after a recession
The willingness of the employees in the white collar sector to forgo established benefits during a recession in order to safeguard jobs was also examined in this survey. Two fifths (38 %) of the respondents would agree to exchange their holiday bonus pay for time off in lieu. One quarter would be prepared to accept being laid-off on a temporary basis. Less than one tenth (8 %) would agree to forgo, either partly or completely, their holiday bonus pay in order to safeguard jobs. 12 % of the respondents would agree to have no pay rises and less than one percent would accept a reduction in their pay. Similarly, only less than one percent of the respondents would be willing to work longer hours with no additional pay. The 35 to 49 age group (44 %) would be more willing to exchange their holiday bonus pay for time off in lieu than would those who are younger than 35 years of age.
These results provide an indication of the job market during a recession. The exchanging of holiday bonus pay for time off in lieu, along with the temporary laying-off of employees, have been the most frequent remedies to which companies have resorted in their quest to survive the current period of deep recession.
When this current recession comes to an end, more than one half (54 %) of the respondents would like to boost the national economic recovery by the cutting of public expenditure, whilst nearly half (46 %) of the respondents would raise the level of taxation and two fifths (38 %) would bring about structural modernisation. Men were more enthusiastic than were women to put into practice those actions which would give a boost to the national economy, for example by setting higher taxes and carrying out structural modernisation. Higher taxation was favoured by the older age groups in particular. The high earners amongst the respondents were more willing to accept a higher level of taxation than were those with lower wages and salaries.
It can be deduced from these results that the respondents would like to see a variety of actions taken in order to enable the national economy to recover after the recession. Cutting expenditure, raising the level of taxation and structural modernisation were among the actions mentioned. When the economic situation improves, the state of the national economy will also improve fairly quickly, as earnings from taxes will grow and the need for the distribution of wealth is lessened.