Trade union movement needs a European collective bargaining strategy

SAK President Lauri Ihalainen:

(Helsinki 08.07.2002 - Juhani Artto) The European trade union movement should have a European level collective bargaining strategy. This recent proposal was made by Lauri Ihalainen, President of SAK, the largest central trade union organisation in Finland. Ihalainen also presently leads the Council of Nordic Trade Unions. "The strategy would clarify the goals and division of labour in European level agreements made for individual industries and for several industries."

Ihalainen considers that national agreements will continue to have the main role in the immediate future, and that European bargaining will supplement national bargaining. However, he envisages that cross-border bargaining will undoubtedly increase. Progress will be made especially within multinational enterprises to unify the principles of their staff and salary policies. Common recommendations and positions by European level labour market organisations will also increase.

The SAK leader sees no alternatives to co-ordinating EU Member State salary and collective bargaining policies. "The common currency has increased the need for dialogue on economic policy." Preparations for this have been going on since the late 1990s within EU policymaking.

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