Employment in the private sector

The chemicals industry is, in addition to the forest industry, one of the largest export sectors in Finland. The chemicals industry includes the oil, gas and petroleum industries, plastic industry and pharmaceutical industry. The largest companies employing Loimu’s members are Aidian, Bayer, Kemira, Neste, Orion and Tikkurila. In addition to these, employment is offered by many small and medium-sized chemicals industry companies around Finland.

Approximately 8,000 senior salaried employees work in the chemicals industry, of which approximately 1,000 are Loimu’s members. The collective agreement concerning senior salaried employees working in the field is called the Collective agreement for the senior salaried employees in the chemical industry.

The employers in the chemicals industry are comprehensively organised under the Chemical Industry Federation of Finland, which is a member organisation of the Confederation of Finnish Industries (EK).

Loimu participates in the work of YTN’s chemicals industry support group. The support group is tasked with outlining the collective agreement and negotiation activities required by senior salaried employees in the chemicals industry.

The Federation of Professional and Managerial Staff YTN offers more information about the chemicals industry on its website.

The forest industry is one of the most important export sectors in Finland. The forest sector consists of large forest industry companies, such as Stora Enso, UPM and Metsä Group, as well as of small forest industry companies, Metsähallitus, the Finnish Forest Centre, Tapio Oy, Tapio Palvelut Oy and OTSO Metsäpalvelut Oy. Approximately 4,000 senior salaried employees work in the forest industry, of which approximately 300 are Loimu’s members. A total of more than 600 of Loimu’s members work in the forest sector.

The forest industry has no collective agreement for senior salaried employees.

Loimu negotiates the collective agreement for the Finnish Forest Centre. In addition, the Collective agreement for professionals of forest bioeconomy, which concerns the personnel of Tapio Oy, Tapio Palvelut Oy and OTSO Metsäpalvelut Oy, is negotiated by Loimu. Both agreements are concluded in cooperation with the Service Sector Employers Palta and the other signatory of the employee side is METO – Metsäalan Asiantuntijat ry. The collective agreement of the Finnish Forest Centre is also signed by the Trade Union Jyty.

Loimu participates in the work of YTN’s forest industry support group.

The senior salaried employees in the design and consulting industry are working with the development and construction of infrastructure and related industry. Approximately 44,000 senior salaried employees work in the industry, of which approximately 400 are Loimu’s members. The largest employers are AFRY, Eurofins, FCG Suunnittelu ja teknikka, Golder Associates, Ramboll, Sitowise and WSP Finland.

The senior salaried employees are covered by the Collective agreement for senior salaried employees in the design and consulting sector.

You can find more information about the design and consulting industry from YTN’s website.

The technology industry is the largest industry in Finland. Its main lines of business are IT, electronics and electricity technology, the machine and metal product industry and the metal industry. YTN represents approximately 60,000 senior salaried employees, supervisors and experts.

The biotechnology sector is especially emphasised among Loimu’s membership; more than 350 of Loimu’s members work in the technology industry and the largest employers are Thermo Fisher Scientific and PerkinElmer/Wallac. Other employers of the members are Vaisala, Outotec, Outokumpu Stainless, Valmet and mining industry-related companies, such as Dragon Mining.

You can find more information about the technology industry from YTN’s website.

The EPA sector consists of companies and state enterprises which are organised under the Service Sector Employers Palta. Approximately 13,000 employees work in the EPA sector under the general salaried employees agreements, of which more than 300 are Loimu’s members. The largest employers are Metsähallitus and VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland.

In the EPA sector, Loimu is responsible for YTN’s agreement activities in Metsähallitus and otherwise involved in the YTN support groups of the EPA sector.

Chief Negotiator Jukka Sippola is the person in charge of the EPA sector.

The private laboratory sector has been established, on one hand, through the privatisation of municipal laboratories and, on the other hand, the outsourcing of laboratory operation by private companies.

Approximately 150 senior salaried employees work in the private laboratory sector, of which most are Loimu’s members.

The collective agreement for the private laboratory sector has been negotiated between the Service Sector Employers Palta, Federation of Professional and Managerial Staff YTN and Trade Union Pro.

Loimu participates in the work of the private laboratory sector support group and in the collective agreement negotiations for the laboratory sector. The support group is tasked with outlining the collective agreement and negotiation activities required by senior salaried employees in the laboratory sector. The support group proposes the negotiation goals and the approval or rejection of possible negotiation results to the Board of Directors of YTN.

You can find more information about the private laboratory industry from YTN’s website.

Loimu’s members are also working in the Finnish Wildlife Agency, the organisational field, in food industry and trade companies, the finance sector (funding and insurance), the food industry, the energy sector and in the energy sector and information sector (information technology service sector).

Loimu participates in the activities of all the aforementioned agreement sectors through the Federation of Professional and Managerial Staff YTN. You can find the collective agreements negotiated by YTN on YTN’s website.

Jukka Sippola is in charge of the Finnish Wildlife Agency.

Did you know that certain terms and conditions of the employment, such as the right to holiday pay, family leave pay and sick pay for a longer period, are based on the collective agreement? Therefore, a collective agreement should be pursued also in the private sector. At the moment, senior salaried employees working in the forest industry, commerce and organisational fields (with the exception of a couple of house-specific agreements) have no collective agreements. They must pay special attention to the terms and conditions of the employment contract, as their statutory employee benefits are weaker than those agreed in a collective agreement.

The Federation of Professional and Managerial Staff YTN negotiates most of the collective agreements for senior salaried employees. YTN’s members are Akava unions whose members work in the private sector. YTN signs collective agreements with the member unions of the Confederation of Finnish Industries (EK) and concludes company-specific agreements. Loimu’s private sector negotiation managers are responsible for some of YTN’s agreement negotiations.

The collective agreements of the Finnish Forest Centre and professionals of forest bioeconomy (Tapio Group and OTSO Metsäpalvelut Oy) are negotiated by Loimu.