The Finnish Confederation of Professionals STTK, considers the settlement to improve the country’s competitiveness satisfactory, after long and difficult negotiations. The board of STTK decided to approve of the negotiation result, provided that all parties adopt it, the accord replaces the Government’s measures for a competitiveness package and that the Government refrains from drafting a separate bill to promote local settling.
During the negotiations, STTK has repeatedly emphasized that the Finnish labour market needs stability and predictability – instead of quarrelling and conflicts.
-Finland’s competitiveness, Finnish work and the future of the welfare state are important issues to Finnish employees. With the competitiveness agreement in place, the responsibility for the future of Finland would be more equitably distributed than what the stringent legislation would provide for, so Chairperson Antti Palola.
Palola thinks that a no-alternative dictation policy has no place in Finland.
– We will continue to have every reason to cherish the tripartite negotiation culture in which solutions are sought at the negotiation table with consideration to the views of other parties.
The current settlement consists of continuing the existing collective agreements by a year, measures enhancing competitiveness and actions to promote local settling.
– Promoting local settling is important, but it requires the improvement of the position of the staff representatives. Ultimately, local settling will – or will not – make progress through consensus. Both employers and employees must be able to trust that local settling is just and works both ways. This requires the security provided by collective labour agreements.
STTK considers it a positive aspect of the negotiation result that improvements to the employees’ change security and occupational health services would take place in difficult economic times, too. Also the level of pension insurance contribution would be settled until 2021.
STTK is somewhat concerned about the expectations that were built up during the negotiation efforts that have taken months.
– The competitiveness of companies is not enhanced by the reduction of labour costs and employee benefits alone. The Government must briskly make structural reforms to develop the Finnish society as well as take allocated measures to boost employment and productivity. These are key issues from the point of view of the Finnish competitiveness and growth. Businesses have a showcase here, too: we need investments, new products, investments in know-how and R&D as well as courage to seek to the international markets, says Antti Palola, Chairperson of STTK.
For further information at STTK: Chairman Antti Palola, tel. 040 509 6030.