Collective bargaining underway in several branches
The Federation of Professional and Managerial Staff YTN, which represents highly educated employees working in the private sector, has started negotiations on salary increases for 2023 in several contract branches, including the chemicals industry.
In the technology industry, the design and consulting industry and the IT service sector, no solution was reached regarding the level of salary increases, so the collective agreements were terminated to expire on 30 November 2022. This means that instead of only salary increases, the entire content of the collective agreements is being negotiated.
The negotiations are taking place in an exceptional economic context where the impact of rapidly accelerating inflation needs to be taken into account. The objective of YTN is to secure the purchasing power of its members by means of adequate salary increase percentages. So far, the views of the employees’ and employers’ sides have been very far apart.
“Although the economic outlook for next year is also exceptionally uncertain, companies’ order books and particularly their financial situation are, overall, very strong. There is room for raises for profit-makers since I suppose that, as in previous years, companies are preparing to pay hefty dividends next spring,” says Teemu Hankamäki, Chairman of YTN.
In addition, the aim of the negotiations is to promote equality in working life by recording a provision on paid family leave in collective agreements in accordance with the legislation in force. The new law on family leave entered into force at the beginning of August, but the current agreements are still based on the old system.
Check the collective agreement for your branch at https://ytn.fi/en/