A Change of Chairs

Seven new Presidents in SAK affiliated unions

From the SAK Journal 'Palkkatyöläinen on the new union leaders (5th June 2001)

If we start with the early March meeting of the General Council of AKT, the Transport Workers' Union, and end at the 7th Congress of the Wood and Allied Workers' Union, which is to be held in mid June, we will have witnessed, within a very short period of time, a real shake up amongst the SAK affiliated unions.

The top decision makers in nine unions have been, or are soon to be, the subjects of election. Seven of these unions have already seen a change of leadership. In two of these the change has been radical, firstly the Media Union in its elections of mid May, followed by KTV, the Trade Union for the Municipal Sector, during the first week in June.

This changing of chairs has been a unique event in the history of SAK. The marching in of new faces, in such rapid succession, has never previously been experienced in the 90 years of the existence of SAK, and is hardly likely to be repeated in the near future.

The respective leaderships are currently undergoing change in one quarter of the total of all the SAK affiliated unions. Simultaneously there appear to be strong winds blowing through the top management of the unions, the delegations, the executive committees and the general councils. It could be said that the entire movement is experiencing an unprecedented turbulence. The much publicised change of generation has truly begun.

It is of course much too early to forecast in which way the policies of those unions which have elected new leaders will change in the future, and how this will affect the lines of direction which SAK will adopt. One or two interesting observations can, however, be made at this early stage. Firstly for example, with the exception of civil aviation and the railways, all of the SAK affiliated unions within the transport sector have now appointed brand new drivers. Some may well assume that these changes of crews have been so fundamental, and that such uninitiated people have been elected, that there is no need to pay attention, in the tussles of the labour market, to the previously hard fisted transport workers' unions for a little while to come.

This assumption however is far from being correct. Leaders may come and they may go, but that fact alone does not upset the identity of a union. The policy documents, of all the unions within the transport sector, underline the need to be prepared, both for action and for a deeper degree of cooperation. Some of the documents, for example, discuss the possibilities of joint regional activities and even of a future merger of unions.

A second interesting point of observation is, that of these seven new union presidents, three have been elected to the top position directly from the field. These are Mr Esa Vilkuna of the Postal Workers' Union, Mr Risto Elonen of the Union of Locomotivemen and Mr Ari Mäkinen of the Union of Customs Officers. If the definition of a lay background is only very slightly widened, there is no reason that Mr Mauri Lundén of the Railwaymen's Union and even the freshly elected President of KTV, Dr Tuire Santamäki-Vuori should not be included within this group.

The election of all of the above shows clearly that trade union competence does not flourish solely in the union office. Hopefully, this is also a clear sign that the trade union movement, as epitomised by SAK, is about to return to its roots, to become closer to the membership, be more prepared to listen to the members and be ready to involve the members to a greater extent in the decision making process.

Five of these new union presidents have in common the public sector - to a certain degree. Whether or not this fact will give birth to new patterns of cooperation remains to be seen. One thing however is certain, and that is that there will be no shortage of common issues, one of the most pressing of these being the increase in the compulsory tendering for public sector services.

Eero Kosonen
Editor

The Presidents in the Affiliated unions of SAK

Automobile and Allied Salespersonnel's Union
President: Mr Antti Helenius
www.athry.fi
Members: 4 218
M 65,20 %, F 34,8 %

Finnish Transport Workers' Union
President: Mr Timo Räty (New)
www.akt.fi
Members: 50 722
M 82,49 %, F 17,51%

Finnish Aviation Union
President: Mr Rainer Hakala
www.iau.fi
Members: 3 883
M 76,56 %, F 23,44 %

Chemical Workers' Union
President: Mr Timo Vallittu
www.kemianliitto.fi
Members: 34 555
M 59,06 %, F 40,94 %

Trade Union for Municipal Sector KTV
President: Ms Tuire Santamäki-Vuori (New)
www.ktv.fi
Members: 210 500
M 27,79 %, F 72,21 %

Metalworkers' Union
President: Mr Erkki Vuorenmaa
www.metalliliitto.fi
Members: 167 392
M 79,13 %, F 20,87%

Service Union United
President: Ms Maj-Len Remahl
www.pamliitto.fi
Members: c. 200 000
M 20,00%, F 80,00 %

Paperworkers' Union
President: Mr Jarmo Lähteenmäki
www.paperiliitto.fi
Members: 49 353
M 75,28 %, F 24,72 %

Postal Workers' Union
President: Mr Esa Vilkuna (New)
www.postiliitto.fi
Members: 26 338
M 58,47 %, F 41,53%

The Wood and Allied Workers' Union
President: Mr Kalevi Vanhala
www.puuliitto.fi
Members: 50 419
M 77,48 %, F 22,52 %

Construction Trade Union
President: Mr Pekka Hynönen
www.rakennusliitto.fi
Members: 76 592
M 95,36 %, F 4,64 %

Finnish Railwaymen's Union
President: Mr Mauri Lunden (New)
www.rautl.fi
Members:16 735
M 89,69 % , F 10,31 %

Railway Salaried Staff's Union
President: Mr Kari Kallio
Members: 2 057
M 47,98%, F 52,02 %

Finnish Foodstuff Workers' Union
President: Ms Ritva Savtschenko
www.selry.fi
Members: 42 542
M 41,28 %, F 58,72 %

Finnish Seamen's Union
President: Mr Simo Zitting
www.smury.fi
Members: 10 242
M 55,49 %, F 44,51 %

Finnish Musicians' Union
President: Mr Raimo Vikström
www.musicfinland.com/sml
Members: 3 256
M 75,49 %, F 24,51 %

Finnish Social Democratic Journalists' Union
President: Mr Harri Järvinen
www.kolumbus.fi/sssl
Members: 334
M 74.85 %, F 25,15 %

Finnish Electrical Workers' Union
President: Mr Lauri Lyly
www.sahkoliitto.fi
Members: 29 760
M 95,46 %, F 4,54 %

Textile and Garment Workers' Union
President: Ms Auli Korhonen
www.tevaliitto.fi
Members: 17 911
M 13,66 %, F 86,34 %

Joint Organisation of State Employees (VTY)
President: Mr Raimo Rannisto
Members: 28 310
M 61,54 %, F 38,46 %

Finnish Locomotivemen's Union
President: Mr Risto Elonen (New)
Members: 2 966
M 100 %, F 0 %

Finnish Media Union
President: Mr Pertti Raitoharju (New)
www.viestintaliitto.fi
Members: 28 531
M 47,74 %, F 52,26 %

General Union of Journalists
President: Mr Pekka Saarnio
www.yleinenlehtimiesliitto.fi
Members: 158
M 63,29 % , F 36,71 %

NOTE: Member of SAK by special agreement in the service field:
Union of Formen in Commerce
President: Ms Marja-Terttu Kontto
www.esimiesliitto.fi
Members: 5 062
M 41,90 %, F 58,10%

Affiliated Unions of the Joint Organisation of State Employees (VTY)

Coastguard Union
President: Mr Juha Masalin
www.merivartioliitto.fi

Finnish Customs Officers' Union
President: Mr Ari Mäkinen (New)
www.tulliliitto.fi

The Finnish National Union of State Employees and Special Services VAL
President: Mr Raimo Rannisto
www.VALry.fi

Finnish Prison Officers' Union
President: Mr Jari Tuomela