Akava
What is it? Akava is a confederation of trade unions, whose members have a higher-level education. For example, members of TEK are university educated professionals or students in the fields of technology and natural sciences. TEK among 35 other unions is an affiliate of Akava.
What’s in it for me? Representing some 600,000 union members, Akava’s voice carries weight in societal decision-making. Akava is in particular active on matters regarding labour legislation, social legislation and the Finnish pension system. Akava has taken a stand on issues such as developing well-being at work, age discrimination, the Finnish government's budget and the coping of young people. By being a member of TEK and with that of Akava, you will strengthen the development of these issues in a direction that is favourable to university graduates.
YTN and JUKO
What are they? YTN and JUKO are negotiation organisations formed by Akava unions. YTN is the one negotiating collective agreements for the private sector with employers’ organisations. JUKO negotiates on behalf of the public sector, for example universities. In practice, the negotiators in both YTN and JUKO are experts from Akava unions, such as TEK.
What’s in it for me? Collective agreements often provide better terms and conditions of employment than the law. For example, the number of paid sick leave days and paid parental leave days are higher in collective agreements than the law requires. Besides the monetary benefits, collective agreements also cover length of workdays and other factors to make sure you and everyone else in your field have fair working conditions. •
What is a collective agreement?
Collective agreements (työehtosopimus, TES in Finnish) are agreements between employees’ and employers’ organisations that specify the terms and conditions of employment. They apply to a specific personnel group in a certain field, industry or even a company, whereas your personal employment contract states the conditions that apply to you only, such as your salary or work location.
Collective agreements provide for conditions such as annual salary increases, holiday bonuses and reimbursement for travel expenses. They specify the minimum terms and conditions of employment in more detail than the law. YTN and JUKO negotiate collective agreements that apply to TEK members every 1 to 3 years, depending on the validity period of the previous collective agreement.