Working party to seek solution to dispute over retirement age

According to information gathered by Helsingin Sanomat, the dispute over the government’s decision on raising the minimum age for old-age pensions is to be transferred to a working group led by Jukka Rantala, the Managing Director of the Finnish Centre for Pensions.
      The working group is a permanent body set up by Finnish labour organisations to outline the Finnish retirement policy.
     
Both the Central Organisation of Finnish Trade Unions (SAK) and the Confederation of Finnish Industries (EK) have taken a positive attitude towards the move. Nevertheless, SAK President Lauri Ihalainen demands that the government will have to cancel its proposal to raise the retirement age in order that the working group could start with a clean slate.
      Ihalainen wants to seek out a broader view jointly with other Finnish labour organisations and the government on ways to keep people at work longer. Ihalainen says that the negotiations should focus on employees’ health and ability to cope as well as wellbeing at work.
      Leif Fagernäs, the Director General of EK, says that they find Rantala’s working group very appropriate.
      However, he is not willing to take a stand on whether or not the working group should start talks with labour market organisations with a clean slate, as ”the matter is being negotiated”.
     
Rantala’s working group has been cooperating with the government previously as well.
      The eight-member panel includes representatives from SAK, the Finnish Confederation of Professionals (STTK), and the Confederation of Unions for Professional and Managerial Staff (AKAVA) and from EK, as well as Jukka Rantala and three other pension experts.
      If the dispute over the old-age pensions is transferred to the working group, it is likely that some officials from the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health and from the Ministry of Finance will also be involved.
     
Crucial negotiations with Prime Minister Matti Vanhanen (Centre Party) are to be held on Wednesday. On Monday, the SAK board took a tough line, announcing that the raising of the minimum age of old-age pensions is not among the issues they intend to discuss.
      The boards of SAK and AKAVA are to convene on Tuesday. The employee organisations are to consider a joint strategy, while EK will also be consulted.
     
After meeting with the leaders of Finnish labour union organisations on Wednesday morning, the interpellation over the government’s plan to raise the retirement age is to be discussed in Parliament in the afternoon.
      SAK is prepared to hold another meeting on Friday morning if the talks on Wednesday have not resulted in the cancellation of the government’s decision.
      The vote of confidence in Parliament is to be held on Friday.


Previously in HS International Edition:
  Organised labour angered by government decision on old-age pensions (26.2.2009)
  Government decides on gradual raising of minimum age for old-age pension to 65 (25.2.2009)
  Gallup: Two in three Finns demand cancelling government decision on old-age pensions (9.3.2009)
  Poll: rise in retirement age sparks anger, but is no surprise (6.3.2009)
  Dispute over retirement age unresolved after talks between PM and union federations (5.3.2009)

Links:
  The Finnish Centre for Pensions
  The Central Organisation of Finnish Trade Unions (SAK)
  The Confederation of Finnish Industries (EK)