Akava, the Confederation of Unions for Professional and Managerial Staff in Finland, is one of our main partners, since Akava has access to negotiating tables that we could not reach on our own. On the other hand, while TEK represents 82,000 members, Akava represents more than 600,000 members through its affiliates. We have power in numbers to make an impact.
One example of a particularly important and topical issue for TEK members that Akava is influencing is the pension reform.
The aim is to ensure that our earnings-related pension system will be able to adapt to possible shocks. Akava was part of the same working group as other social partners, the Confederation of Finnish Industries (EK), Local Government and County Employers (KT), the Central Organisation of Finnish Trade Unions (SAK) and the Finnish Confederation of Professionals (STTK).
Back in October 2023, we made a proposal together with Akava to Prime Minister Petteri Orpo (NCP) on how the labour market policies in the Government Programme could be improved and implemented more fairly.
Not all these proposals will be implemented, but hopefully some will. Our aim is to be solution-oriented in this and other matters as well, and not just to declare that this is unacceptable to us.
We have also prepared Akava’s growth programme for the upcoming budget session. In this programme, we propose capitalising higher education institutions, reforming taxation and reducing taxation on earned income, strengthening EU investment in RDI and repairing the business subsidy system to support reform.
As Akava’s 1st Vice Chair, I am also well-informed about these issues. The interests of TEK members are always on my mind.
