Trade unions consist of associations with employees as members. A trade union is a community supporting the profession and present in the daily life of the workplace. In this community members at the workplace can jointly affect common issues. Contact your shop steward for more information on what union they represent and what union negotiates the collective labour agreement applied in your workplace. A single workplace can have associations of various unions, and employees always have the right to decide which union they want to belong to.
Joining a trade union is voluntary, but it is also every employee’s right. You can and should join a union already during your studies. You can also change unions if you change the industry or your job changes significantly. It is a good idea to choose a union depending on your sector or duties so that you can get expert help in a potential problem situation. Some unions also redirect applicants if they do not represent the industry or profession in question.
93% of young union members would recommend membership to a friend.
Survey on people’s opinions on union memberships, 2016
How to join a union
- Select the union that best represents your profession. Tip: lists of various unions are easily available on central organisations’ websites!
- The application form can usually be found on each union’s website. Complete and submit it according to the instructions given.
- If you do not yet known what association to join, the trade union’s member service will redirect you to the association that best represents your matters. When you join a trade union, you can also protect your income in the case of unemployment. To do this, join an unemployment fund to have access to earnings-related daily allowances.
STTK member associations
You meet STTK’s members every day in hospitals, retirement homes, factories, forests, day-care centres, government agencies, banks, insurance companies, offices, churches, libraries, rescue services or ships.
Finnish engineering association
The members of the Finnish Engineers` Association who as expert´s and chiefs in different positions in private and public corporations both on land and on sea. The member´s of the Finnish Engineers´Association work as chief engineer, engineers and electro engineers at vessels and energy plants. We also have members working as experts in the navy, border guard and as drivers of pilot vessels.
Finnish rescue professionals SPAL
The Finnish Association of Fire Fighters SPAL is the largest trade union for rescue personnel in Finland. The union looks after and safeguards rescue and emergency response centre employees’ interests and rights and promotes their wellbeing at work.
Kelan toimihenkilöt ry
Meto – Forestry Experts’ Association
Meto – Forestry Experts’ Association is a lobbyist for people working in forestry and natural resources fields. Meto’s members work in the forest sector in various specialist, supervisory and managerial positions and as independent entrepreneurs.
Tehy ry Union of Health and Social Care Professionals
Tehy – The Union of Health and Social Care Professionals in Finland represents qualified health care professionals, social workers and students of these professions in both the private and the public sectors.
The Association of Finnish Construction Engineers and Architects RIA
The Association of Finnish Construction Engineers and Architects RIA is a national federation of clerical employees in building trade who graduated from universities of applied science and polytechnics, with the aim to improve the operational conditions of the trades they represent in work and in society.
The Finnish Ship’s Officers’ Union
The Finnish Ship’s Officers’ Union is an occupational union established in 1905. The union represents maritime officers both at sea and on land.
The Finnish Union of Practical Nurses SuPer
The Finnish Union of Practical Nurses SuPer is the largest trade union in Finland for social and health care professionals with upper secondary level qualifications as well as for students in this field. Members of SuPer work in jobs in the social and health care sector and in both the public and private sector. Members of SuPer also work as entrepreneurs in the field.
The Professional Dairy Association MVL
The Professional Dairy Association MVL is a lively trade union formed by 3000 technical employees, employees with special training and other experts in the field of dairy industry.
Trade Union Jyty
The Federation of Public and Private Sector Employees Jyty is the guardian of its 50,000 members. The Jyty members work within the basic and welfare services in municipalities, joint municipal au-thorities, parishes, the private sector and non-profit organisations. Jyty has a comprehensive local and national network that brings negotiation power to the guardianship.
The members are served by the member branches, the central office and eight regional offices. We handle collective agreements, we actively negotiate for better working conditions and create a safety net for the individual employee. Jyty negotiates collective agreements for the municipal, private and church sectors.
Trade Union Pro
Trade Union Pro promotes the interests of trained professionals, experts and managerial staff in both private and public sector.
Pro is a strong and responsible influencer in Finnish working life and labour markets. Its operations are based on its wide membership and steady economy.
Union of Church Employees
The members of the Union of Church Employees work in the agreement sectors of the Evangelic Lutheran Church, Orthodox Church and Christian organisations.
Union of Private Sector Professionals ERTO
ERTO is a labour union for employees working in expert positions in the private service sector.
Our members represent a wide variety of fields, such as information technology, transportation and forwarding, advertising, market research, digital media, health care and social services, financial management, physical exercise, culture, free-time activities and other special fields.
There are three central employee organisations in Finland: The Central Organisation of Finnish Trade Unions (SAK), the Confederation of Unions for Professional and Managerial Staff in Finland (Akava), and the Finnish Confederation of Professionals (STTK). Their members include trade unions, of which STTK’s trade unions are listed above. Trade unions, again, consist of associations with employees as members.