update (1st October 2015)
Finnish government turns around
Update (30 September 2015): Finnish unions thank all for solidarity with actions 18 September. They also provide further information on the ongoing conflict
Sent on behalf of Jarkko Eloranta
Dear Colleagues,
JHL and other Finnish EPSU-PSI affiliates wish to thank you for your encouraging solidarity messages sent in connection of the demonstration organised by the Finnish trade union movement on September 18, 2015.
The rally in Helsinki was successful and gathered some 30 000 people. In addition, public transport, trains, harbours and air traffic were stopped, and quite a number of shops, offices, day-care centres and many factories including paper mills also shut down. The total number of people who came out in protest against the Government measures was about 300,000 around the country.
Obviously the fight is not over yet. The Finnish labour market organisations have now submitted their own plans for improving employment and cost-competiveness, and they have returned to the negotiating table in order to discuss a joint plan.
The Government has reversed its plan to cut overtime and Sunday work compensation, replacing those measures by a 30 percent cut in holiday pay. In compensation to this cut, a statutory right to holiday pay will be established to cover all employees. The revised proposals still include an unpaid sick leave waiting day, cuts to annual holiday entitlement and turning some weekday holidays into days without pay. Compensations include some improvements in change security for dismissed employees.
In addition, the Government offers for employers a compensation for family leave costs as well as lowering of the social insurance contributions by 1.72 percentage points (private-sector employers).
The package of mandatory reforms will be valid for three years. The government continues to evaluate the feasibility of the reforms from the point of view of the Finnish constitution and international conventions. The package was submitted to Parliament today, and drafting of legislation will begin.
The good news is that new members flock to join trade unions ever since the Government published its austerity measures and the decision to limit the freedom of agreement of labour market negotiations.
Yours sincerely,
Jarkko Eloranta
President
Trade Union for the Public and Welfare Sectors JHL
Finnish Public Services Unions' EU working Party FIPSU (Finnish EPSU-PSI Affiliates)
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