Trade bodies okay with planned govt programme

Leaders of different trade unions have expressed their satisfaction at the planned government programme in the country.

They also promised to extend their all-out cooperation to the programme published on June 3 by the prime minister designate Antti Rinne's government, said a press release of the Central Organisation of Finnish Trade Unions-SAK.

Plans to scrap the failed activation model, invest more in education and employment services and focus on gender equality as well as the government programme's commitment to cooperate with labour-market parties were warmly greeted by the unions.

Moreover, one of the major positive issues cited by the unions is a complete change in the government's labour market policy. The outgoing PM Juha Sipilä's government tried to dictate what unions must do, whereas the incoming PM Antti Rinne's government favours cooperation and negotiation, pointed out the press release.

SAK President Jarkko Eloranta expressed his pleasure at the new government's willingness to invite labour market parties to negotiate on how to raise the employment rate instead of issuing diktats on how this must be done.

"We must now look for alternatives to the policy of cuts and austerity and need to invest more in education and services," said Eloranta.

The SAK Board was pleased that the incoming government was taking seriously the fragmentation of working life, like precarious work, zero-hour contracts and platform work.

Finnish Confederation of Professionals (STTK) President Antti Palola said he was pleasantly surprised that many of the goals in the planned programme echo what the STTK has been advocating, too. These include an active employment policy, a goal of a 75 per cent employment rate and possibilities for life-long learning.

He also welcomed the commitment to strengthen confidence in the labour market. "We hope for a constructive and confidential dialogue between the government and labour market parties," Palola said.

Confederation of Unions for Professional and Managerial Staff (Akava) President Sture Fjäder sees it as positive that investments in research, development and innovation are set to grow.

However, the programme is not ambitious enough, Fjäder said, and called for more money for innovations, adding that the new investments are not enough to repair the cuts made and damage done under the previous government.

Union of Health and Social Care Professionals (Tehy) President Millariikka Rytkönen, Service Union United (PAM) former president Ann Selin, Trade Union Pro President Jorma Malinen, Trade Union for the Public and Welfare Sectors (JHL) President Päivi Niemi-Laine also expressed positive reactions to the new government programme.