Both the Central Organisation of Finnish Trade Unions (SAK) and the Finnish Confederation of Salaried Employees (STTK) want to initiate talks on a centralised incomes agreement in spite of negative views expressed by the main employers’ organisation.
The executive bodies of both confederations decided unanimously on Monday that a centralised incomes agreement is still the primary alternative. The two groups now have to wait for the result of a meeting of the executive of the Confederation of Finnish Industries (EK) scheduled for Wednesday.
While the STTK is still hoping for a centralised agreement, its affiliated unions are making preparations for separate talks with the employers’ side.
The union leaders did not offer any solutions to the apparent impasse with EK.
According to STTK chairman Mikko Mäenpää, discussions on a centralised agreement need to make progress during October. If not, the individual unions will prepare for a round of separate talks.
The SAK executive was more focused on holding on to efforts to reach a centralised agreement.
"Now is the time for building and not arguing", said SAK chairman Lauri Ihalainen.
In Ihalainen’s view, the time for putting out feelers is over. Now he wants to go straight into actual negotiations. He said that there is not much time for procrastination, because the government plans to stick to its schedule and present its proposals on income taxes at the end of November. The government has offered the incentive of income tax cuts if a moderate pay agreement is reached in collective bargaining talks.
The SAK executive suspects that one possible reason for the negative attitude of the EK is that it wants to do away with the present tripartite cooperation involving the employers’ and trade union confederations and the national government.
Lauri Ihalainen also urged government ministers not to take sides with the employers in advance, noting that this would make negotiations more difficult.
