Negotiations on a new collective agreement have now begun for the university sector. The employees’ and employers’ representatives submitted their negotiating goals at the Akava union’s headquarters in Helsinki on Friday 11 February. At the same time, the parties gave notice for termination of the current collective agreement, effective 31 March.
Of the sectors on behalf of which JUKO negotiates, the universities were among the last to begin their negotiations, as the universities’ collective agreement expires a month later than those in the municipal, state and church sectors.
The collective agreement for teacher training schools also expires at the end of March.
Clear goals
The head of collective bargaining for the university sector at JUKO, Katja Aho, says the employees’ goals are clear.
– Our key goals concern improved working conditions, reduced use of fixed-term contracts, clearer ground rules on remote and multi-locational work and the transposition of the family leave reform into the collective agreement.
In terms of pay rises, JUKO has traditionally sought general increases in percentages, thus ensuring all staff groups see their salaries progress. The specific aims regarding salary increases will be confirmed as the negotiations progress.
The negotiations will resume on 15 February.
Read more (in Finnish): www.juko.fi or follow the discussion on Facebook and Twitter #neuvotellen2022 #yliopisto #meolemmeyliopisto.
JUKO's and the university sectors union's "For you benefit" campaign website presents the meaning of collective agreements for university employees: www.tyoehtosoppa.fi/en
News on public sector's negotiations
Why do collective agreement negotiations happen?
The employee unions and employer federation negotiate a collective agreement which contains many labour provisions not found in legislation.
They agree in the negotiations on issues such as pay rises, teaching and research employees’ total working time, and working time and annual leave provisions for other specialist staff. The collective agreement sets a base level of contractual terms which can then be improved upon in more specific agreements at an organizational level.
The collective agreement provides qualitative and monetarily defined benefits. Negotiations typically discuss the qualitative goals and their possible cost impacts first, before turning to agreement on salaries in the final stage.