Labour market activities
What is YKA? → Labour market activities
We negotiate your terms and conditions of employment
YKA is a member of the Confederation of Unions for Professional and Managerial Staff in Finland (Akava), which represents university-educated employees in Finland. Within the Akava community, collective representation is handled by two negotiation organisations.
If you work in the public sector, your negotiation organisation is the Negotiation Organisation for Public Sector Professionals JUKO. In the private sector and in organisations, YKA members are represented by the Federation of Professional and Managerial Staff YTN. YKA is a member of both negotiation organisations, and our negotiation managers work as part of them.
Collective agreement negotiations
You may have heard of collective labour agreements and collective civil-servant agreements. Finnish labour legislation sets the minimum requirements for terms and conditions of employment, while collective agreements lay down more detailed terms and conditions. These agreements establish fair ground rules for different sectors and help ensure equal treatment of employees.
Negotiating collective labour agreements and collective civil-servant agreements with employers’ organisations is one of the core functions of trade unions.
Collective representation includes negotiating collective agreements and monitoring compliance with them. Many employment benefits that are now taken for granted in Finland, such as holiday bonuses and paid periods of family leave, are the result of collective bargaining. Collective bargaining remains just as important today, with areas such as wellbeing at work still requiring further development.
Stages of collective agreement negotiations
1. Preparing for negotiations
As the collective agreement period approaches its end, trade unions review the feedback received from members and employee representatives during the agreement period. This feedback helps identify areas where the agreements need to be developed.
2. Setting common objectives
The objectives of different trade unions are coordinated within JUKO and YTN. Where possible, common objectives are also established with unions affiliated with SAK and STTK.
3. Negotiations begin
Negotiations with employers’ organisations or labour market organisations usually begin two to three months before the current agreement period expires.
4. Conciliation and possible industrial action
If a new collective agreement cannot be reached before the existing agreement expires, industrial action may need to be considered and taken. Before any industrial action, the labour dispute is always subject to conciliation led by the National Conciliator. Industrial action is not an end in itself, but a means of reaching a collective agreement.
5. A new agreement is reached
Once a new collective agreement has been concluded for the next agreement period, the outcome of the negotiations is put into practice. Feedback on the completed bargaining round is collected, and preparations for the next round begin.
Salary guidance
Are you preparing for a salary negotiation or wondering what salary to ask for when changing jobs? You don’t have to figure it out on your own! We offer our members personalised salary advice based on research data. Our experts can help you set a realistic salary expectation, whether you’re applying for a new job, a summer job or an internship.
More information
Petri Toiviainen
- Chief negotiator
- petri.toiviainen@yka.fi
- 010 231 0354
Nuutti Pursiainen
- Chief negotiator
- nuutti.pursiainen@yka.fi
- 040 575 8980