SAK to stage demo against new unemployment law

The Central Organisation of Finnish Trade Unions (SAK) is going to stage a political demonstration on February 2 against the “active model” provision in the amended unemployment law, reported the local media outlet MTV news.

SAK, the country’s largest federation of trade unions, has invited its members to a general meeting on January 23. It is expected that SAK will present its own alternative model of active job seeking.

Meanwhile, a citizens’ initiative aimed at repealing the law has collected over 130,000 signatures in a very short period of time.

“The citizens’ initiative deserves a careful consideration in parliament. We will discuss how to accelerate the progress of the initiative in the meeting with the unions,” said SAK President Jarkko Eloranta.

According to Eloranta, the status of the unemployed has already been made more miserable courtesy of the previous measures to cut unemployment benefits by 200 million euros and by reducing the duration of unemployment benefits by 100 days.

“The prime minister’s argument that the active model would improve unemployment benefits is unfounded. The active model reduces the waiting period by two days, but this was already done through previous cancellation of extension. The government’s actions are inconsistent and unplanned,” said Eloranta.