A new collective agreement for the universities

The board of JUKO, the representative association for highly educated employees in the public sector, has accepted a new collective agreement for the university sector. The agreement applies to some 32 000 salaried employees at universities. Some 2 000 TEK members are included in this agreement (situation in January 2020). TEK represented its members as part of JUKO in the negotiations.

– The negotiations took place under demanding circumstances. First there were all the difficulties related to the collective agreement negotiations, including kiky compensations and salary increase percentages. Then the coronavirus epidemic hit. With these factors in mind, we achieved the best possible result. We pretty much got what everyone else was given, says Daniel Valtakari, a representative of TEK in the university sector. 

Raises and kiky hours

The new two-year agreement guarantees university employees raises of 3.2 percent, which adheres to the general raise level. General raises will increase salaries by 1.1 % in August 2020 and June 2021. The remainder is to be distributed locally in batches of 0.5 % in December 2020 and December 2021.
 
Kiky hours will be abolished in different ways from teaching and research staff and other university employees. The total working time of teaching and research staff will be reduced by 12 hours as of August. For other university employees, kiky hours will be abolished entirely as of the beginning of August.

Negotiations under the shades of the coronavirus

The collective bargaining process was expedited after the coronavirus epidemic closed down the universities.

– Despite the difficult situation caused by the coronavirus, university staff is working relentlessly from home. It was important for us to quickly reach a responsible solution so that we could provide them with just terms of employment for the next two years, says JUKO's chief negotiator Katja Aho. 

– There is good reason to thank all the negotiating parties for this result and the headway made in the public sector.

• A new collective agreement has been reached also for the agencies of the state and the National Gallery.
• Collective bargaining in the public sector continues in the municipalities, the church, Avainta fields and the Institute of Occupational Health. JUKO's collective agreements expired on 31 March. 
• Further information: www.juko.fi