No broad-based labour contract expected this year
Unions, employers' groups meet with Prime Minister and Finance Minister
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Finnish labour market leaders met with Finnish Prime Minister Matti Vanhanen (Centre) and Finance Minister Jyrki Katainen on Thursday morning to discuss the possibility of a broad-based incomes agreement to replace the one that runs out at the end of September.
After the meeting, Katainen and Vanhanen noted that the views of the labour union confederations and the employers' organisations on the need for a broad-based agreement were diametrically opposed, which means that no such contract is likely.
The ministers noted that regardless of what kind of solution is reached, the aim is a solution which boosts Finnish competitiveness, economic growth, and employment.
The main employers' organisation, the Confederation of Finnish Industry (EK), is adamant that there will not be a broad-based agreement.
The large labour union confederations and the government still want to examine the possibilities of a far-ranging agreement. The group that met on Thursday agreed to hold another meeting on May 16th.
Vanhanen and Katainen asked the labour market organisations to give a detailed account of what action they would like the government to take at the next meeting.
If no centralised agreement is reached, involving the central organisations and the government, the individual labour unions would have to negotiate separate contracts with individual employers' groups. In such a situation, the confederations would have mainly an advisory role.
The only unambiguous comments on Thursday came from EK labour market leader Seppo Riski.
"In my opinion, a round with the individual unions is already beginning", he said, reiterating that there would be no centralised agreement.
The leaders of the three main labour union confederations, the Central Organisation of Finnish Trade Unions (SAK), Finnish Confederation of Salaried Employees (STTK) and the Confederation of Unions for Academic Professionals (AKAVA) all insisted that discussions on a broad-based agreement should continue.
SAK President Lauri Ihalainen appealed to the employers' side on behalf of a centralised agreement. However, he appeared fairly resigned to the prospect that no such contract could be reached.
SAK is prepared to start helping its affiliated unions negotiate individual contracts after mid-May.
The May 16th meeting was agreed on at the initiative of SAK; nothing on Thursday suggested that the situation would be much different at that time.
Helsingin Sanomat
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| 27.4.2007 - TODAY |
 No broad-based labour contract expected this year |
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