The labor market is facing a crisis situation. On the one hand, the government continues to prepare for legal changes, and on the other hand, trade unions announce expanding political demonstrations. SAK and STTK unions will strike in early February. Akava has also announced an afternoon march on February 6, in which some of Akava’s member unions will participate.
The black-and-white situation requires shades of gray that are not currently visible. Akava and its member unions have acted consistently in offering the government several alternatives and proposals for solving work-related issues. The government has heard them, but has not listened to them. The biggest problem is that legal changes are being prepared one by one in tripartite groups, independently of each other. Anyone who knows anything about labor market operations and labor legislation understands that it is ultimately a matter of the whole, and that is how things should be negotiated.
In order for the match between the government and the labor movement to be resolved in a sensible way, employer associations should also come from the stands to the field to consider a solution to the situation. Employers should also be concerned. As much as we talk about the importance of local negotiations, for example, current developments will not in any way promote what is the basis of local bargaining, namely trust between the parties.
It can already be predicted that the labor market situation and legal changes will affect the collective agreement negotiations that will begin in the autumn in one way or another. The technology industry agreements will be the first to end at the end of November, so the negotiation tables will be sat down in earnest in September-October. The atmosphere may be tense, and what the government has weakened in the position of salary earners will likely be found as our goal at the collective negotiations table.
Teemu Hankamäki
TEK’s Labour Market Director and YTN’s Vice Chairman
