TEHY wants to eliminate illegal fixed-term jobs

Union members urged to take action against unfounded use of short-term contracts

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TEHY, the Union of Health and Social Care Professionals, wants to eliminate illegal use of fixed-term positions offered its members. TEHY has set the elimination of unjustified temporary positions to be its most important goal, alongside substantial pay hikes.
      The frequent use of non-permanent job contracts and issues concerning their legality are seen as a major problem especially in the municipal health and social sectors.
      "Although more permanent positions are established, the number of temporary employees is not declining", says TEHY chairwoman Jaana Laitinen-Pesola.
     
One in four TEHY members, and more than half of those members who are under the age of 35 hold fixed-term jobs.
      The leaders of the union will not estimate how many of the fixed-term contracts violate the law. "Thousands in any case", says TEHY's Minna Helle.
      According to Helle, the employers use fixed-term employees as a buffer.
      TEHY says that about 20 per cent of its members are constantly off work because of various family leaves and holidays.
      As Helle sees it, employers do not have the right to take fixed term employees to fill a permanent need for labour. TEHY feels that fixed term employees who fill a permanent need for labour should be given permanent jobs.
      Constantly being given fixed-term contracts means that employees are in a continuous state of uncertainty. Long-term planning is difficult, job security is weak, and problems with coping with uncertainty are a cause for stress.
     
With its new campaign, TEHY is seeking guidelines on when a fixed term contract is unfounded, and therefore illegal, and when it is justified.
      Under Finnish law, employees must be given long-term contracts if there are no justified reasons for doing otherwise.
      The union now wants to examine on a case-by-case basis if maintaining fixed-term contracts is justified.


Links:
  Union of Health and Social Care Professionals (TEHY)

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