Transcript SAK in brief

WHAT IS SAK?
 A trade union confederation that harmonises and
develops the goals and work of its affiliated unions
➤ This
work is based on the participation and
solidarity of members and workers’ representatives

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
A specialist in working life and the labour market
A movement for social reform
A dependable partner in bargaining and cooperation
WHAT IS SAK?
 In a changeable national and international
operating environment SAK ensures:
➤ Conditions
for affiliates to agree legally binding
minimum terms and conditions of employment for
their members
➤ Fundamental
rights and security in the world of
work
➤ Earnings-linked
➤A
social security
lobbying channel for employment and social
security
” Nowadays and always, the
most important job of a
trade union is to defend its
members’ interests and to
oversee agreements and
regulations in the
bargaining sector.”
Competence is always in
demand.
MISSION
The mission of the SAK trade union movement is
 to improve the welfare, living standards and
democratic participation of employees and
 to promote a fair and equitable society.
STRATEGIC OBJECTIVES
1.
A world of work that promotes social affluence
2.
A strong consensus society
3.
Full employment
4.
Comprehensive social security and a high
standard of welfare services
5.
Strong organisational capacity
” A union must stand up
for the workers and
steadfastly resist
employer manoeuvres.”
All work is
worthy.
A WORLD OF WORK THAT PROMOTES
SOCIAL AFFLUENCE
 Human rights in the world of work
➤ More
and better jobs
 Decent work improves productivity and quality
 On-the-job learning is normal at work
 Meaningful work promotes wellbeing
 Flexible working hours promoting health and
respecting employee needs
HUMAN RIGHTS IN THE WORLD OF
WORK
 The right to work
 The right to a wage that ensures a decent income
 The right to fair and equitable treatment
 The right to safe working conditions
 The right to work that enhances vocational skills and
to democratic channels of influence at work
 The right to organise in trade unions, the right to
free collective bargaining and the right to strike
AIMING FOR FULL EMPLOYMENT
 A better employment situation must be the main
aim of economic and taxation policy
 Effective, high standard employment policy
 Vocational qualifications for all
 A universal right to freedom from discrimination at
work
 The keys to growth in business policy
”I want a union that
takes care of our terms
of employment, and
stands firm over safety
at work”
A STRONG CONSENSUS SOCIETY
 Principle of solidarity – joint action by trade unions
 Pay settlements must improve purchasing power
 Labour legislation must guarantee basic rights at
work
 SAK is actively involved in the work of the
European trade union movement
SECURITY AND SERVICES
 Improved coverage of social security
 Public employment services must be enhanced
 Safeguards for the level and financing of earningsrelated pensions
 A sustainable policy for prolonging working careers
 Flexibility in family leave
 Reduced health disparities
1907
SAK established
1917
Finland becomes independent, 8-hour working day
1922
Employment Contracts Act, 4 – 7 days of annual holiday
1930s
National Pension Act, 5 – 12 days of annual holiday
1940s
Collective bargaining system, workers’ representative
system, Labour Court, child benefit
1950s
General strike, 45-hour working week
1960s
Employment pension system, Sickness Insurance Act,
40-hour / 5-day working week, annual holiday pay
agreement, first incomes policy agreement (Liinamaa I)
1970s
Minimum wage, holiday return bonus, 7-month maternity
leave, winter holiday, Occupational Health Care Act, Act on
Co-operation within Undertakings
1980s
Study Leave Act, Act on Equality between Women and Men,
parental and child care leave
1990s
Improved conditions in casual employment, annual holiday
bank, Working Hours Act
2000s
4-hour minimum working time, pension reform, subscriber
liability for outsourced labour, revised Act on Co-operation
within Undertakings, reform of the Annual Holidays Act and
the Act on Equality between Women and Men, equal pay
programme
”The trade union
movement must
stand united and
solidarity must
remain its
watchword.”
SAK: A MILLION STRONG
 1 038 000 members in SAK-affiliated unions
 100,000 activists
 21 affiliated unions
➤ about
2,900 branches
➤ about
100 local organisations
➤ 13
regional offices and a representative in Åland
➤ 1,500
➤ 100
staff in SAK and its affiliates
staff in SAK
SAK – A UNION FOR UNIONS
Industry
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Metalworkers’ Union
Paperworkers’ Union
Wood and Allied Workers’ Union
Construction Trade Union
Foodstuff Workers’ Union
Electrical Workers’ Union
Industrial Union TEAM
Transport

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
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Transport Workers’ Union
Aviation Union
Post and Logistics Union
Railway Salaried Staff’s Union
Cabin Crew Union
Seamen’s Union
Locomotive Drivers’ Union
Private Services
Journalists
 Union of Foremen in Commerce*
 Service Unions United
 Musicians’ Union
 Theatre and Media Employees in Finland
* via the Service Sector Union PaU
 Social Democratic Journalists’ Union
 General Union of Journalists
Public Sector
 Trade Union for the Public and Welfare
Sectors JHL and its members:
 the NCOs’ Union, the Coastguard Union,
the Customs Officers’ Union ja Prison Officers’
Union
WHO DO WE REPRESENT?
 SAK represents 1,038,000 union members:
➤
Industry 450 525 (43 %)
➤
Private services 248 381 (24 %)
➤
Public sector 238 861 (23 %)
➤
Transport 100 106 (10 %)
➤
170,000 members under 30 years of age
➤
482,039 women and 556,360 men
 The women and men of SAK
MEN
WOMEN
Private services
24 %
76 %
Industry
77 %
23 %
Public sector
32 %
68 %
Transport
72 %
28 %
2 810 €
2 438 €

Average income (€/month)
MEMBERSHIP OF AFFILIATES IN 2013
UNION
TOTAL
Women
%
Finnish Transport Workers´ Union
50 582
11
3 712
25
238 861
68
7 655
67
Metalworkers´ Union
152 476
18
Service Union United PAM
229 811
78
Paperworkers´ Union
39 665
24
Finnish Post and Logistics Union
29 593
50
Wood and Allied Workers´ Union
37 534
23
Construction Trade Union
88 909
7
Railway Salaried Staff´s Union
1 220
54
Finnish Food Workers´ Union
36 237
58
Finnish Elite Athletes Union
3 216
18
Finnish Cabin Crew Union
1 875
89
Finnish Seamen´s Union
9 841
41
Finnish Musicians´ Union
3 331
32
347
31
Finnish Electrical Workers´ Union
35 615
4
Industrial Union TEAM
60 089
48
Theatre and Media Employees in Finland
4 368
64
Finnish Locomotivemen´s Union
3 283
1
179
38
1 038 399
46
Finnish Aviation Union
Trade Union for the Public and Welfare Sectors JHL (total including
Customs, Coastguard, Railwaymen, Prison Officers, NCOs)
Union of Foremen in Commerce
Finnish Social Democratic Journalists´ Union
General Union of Journalists
Yhteensä
MAIN REASONS FOR JOINING A UNION*
 Pay security and job security: 45 %
 Unemployment security: 30 %
* Source: Labour market policy opinion survey, spring 2012
SAK IN THE REGIONS
 SAK works regionally and locally
 Promoting co-operation with affiliated unions and
officials
 Promoting trade union organisation
 Lobbying regionally to improve society
SAK IN THE REGIONS
 Offices in the Eastern Finland operating area
➤
Joensuu, Kuopio and Mikkeli
 Offices in the Southern Finland operating area
➤
Helsinki, Lahti and Lappeenranta
 Offices in the South-Western Finland operating
area
➤
Pori and Turku
 Offices in the Western Finland operating area
➤
Jyväskylä, Tampere and Vaasa
 Offices in the Northern Finland operating area
➤
Oulu and Rovaniemi
 Representative in Åland
SAK AND YOUNG ADULTS
 170,000 members under 30 years of age
 Youth Committee
➤ Co-ordinates
union youth work, expresses opinions
and prepares proposals concerning young adults.
 Arvo magazine for young adults
 Regional action groups for young people
”The traditional march with
banners and a brass band is not
the only way to make a stand
and lobby effectively in all
directions.”
SAK AS AN NGO
 the largest women’s organisation in Finland
 the largest immigrant organisation in Finland
ORGANISING RATE AND COVERAGE OF
COLLECTIVE AGREEMENTS, 2008
*2007 ’2006
Sweden 90/68,3
Denmark 80/67,6
Finland 90/67,5
Malta 51/59,0
Cyprus 75/58,0
Norway 70/53,3
Belgium 96/51,9
Luxemb. 60/37,4
Romania' 60/34,0
Italy 44/33,4
Ireland 44/32,3
Austria 98/28,9
UK 33/27,1
Greece 70/24,0
Portugal 70/20,4
Czech R. 50/20,2
Bulgaria* 30/20,1
Germany 62/19,1
Holland 85/18,9
Hungary 33/16,8
Slovakia 35/16,8
Poland 30/15,6
Spain 71/14,3
Latvia 16/14,0
Estonia 16/10,7
Lithuania 15/9,3
France 95/7,7
Coverage of collective
agreements %
Union density %
0.0
10.0
20.0
30.0
40.0
50.0
60.0
70.0
80.0
90.0 100.0
STRUCTURE OF SAK
Congress
1 representative for every 3,000 union members
General Council
119 representatives from workplaces
Executive Board
18 representatives from affiliated unions,
plus the President and Vice-President of SAK
Specialist committees and Project
22 groups, representatives from trade unions
Groups
Affiliated trade unions (21)
Union districts / regions
Union branches (2 900)
Workplaces
• About 100,000 workers’
representatives
SAK regional organisation
• 13 regional committees
• 13 offices in 5 operating areas
Local organisations (110)
• Trade union branches as members
SAK ORGANISATION
TRADE UNIONS
CONGRESS
GENERAL COUNCIL
EXECUTIVE BOARD
Sectoral forums
Steering Committee
SAK office
Specialist
committees and
project groups
SOCIAL PARTNERS
SAK
Member Unions
Confederation of
Finnish Industries EK
Local government
STTK
Member Unions
employers
Office for the
Government as
Employer
Akava
Member Unions
Labour Market
Organisation of the
Church
Central
governme
nt
SAK INTERNATIONALLY
ITUC
International Trade
Union Confederation
 Improving core labour rights,
especially trade union rights all
over the world
ILO
International
Labour Organization
SASK
Trade Union Solidarity
Centre of Finland
 Solidarity projects (Trade Union
Solidarity Centre of Finland
SASK)
TUAC
Trade Union Advisory
Committee to the OECD
ETUC
European Trade Union
Confederation
 Influencing on EU policies
FinUnions
Joint EU Representation
of SAK, STTK and Akava
in Brussels
 Collaboration in the Baltic Sea
region (BASTUN)
NFS
Council of Nordic Trade
Unions
”The strength of the
trade union movement
is at the workplace”
Thank you!