Incomes policy settlement signed on Monday morning (02.12.2002)

On Monday morning on 2 December all of the Finnish employee confederations - SAK, STTK and Akava - approved a comprehensive incomes policy settlement in line with the agreement negotiated on 18 November. The Settlement was signed at 01:40 by the Presidents of the employee and employer confederations.

The new settlement now covers some 86 per cent of employees working in industries organised by unions affiliated to the Central Organisation of Finnish Trade Unions - SAK. About 95 per cent of salaried employees in the white-collar confederation - STTK and 98 per cent of academic professionals in the Akava confederation are now covered by the deal.

SAK sectors not covered by the settlement include the foodstuffs industry, aviation and flight attendants, together with some transport sector workers including heavy goods vehicle drivers.

STTK affiliates remaining outside of the settlement include employees in information technology service enterprises and some salaried employees at the Social Insurance Institution. In the Akava sector only the pharmacists have failed to sign up to the new agreement.

The comprehensive incomes policy agreement also continues to exclude certain workers in the mechanical forestry and carpentry sectors organised in SAK and STTK affiliated unions.

A brief review of the new settlement