One marginalised youth is one too many

In Finland, the trade union confederations SAK, STTK and Akava, as well as the Trade Union Solidarity Centre of Finland SASK arranged a joint event at the Rautatientori Square in Helsinki to raise awareness about the fact that, without work prospects, any youth may face the risk of marginalisation.

“The position of young people in working life is extremely difficult as the number of jobs is decreasing. The vicious cycle of falling outside of working life must be broken," stress the unions.

The unions have also produced a video where four Finnish athletes and a rock star take a stand for youth employment.

According to the Ministry of Employment and the Economy, the number of unemployed young people under 25 totalled nearly 47,000 in July 2013, which is almost 7,000 individuals more than in July 2012. The constantly rising unemployment among youth is worrying. Unemployment is a significant risk factor for marginalisation.

It is also vital to ensure that young people are hired with the same terms and conditions as other employees. The unions emphasise that age cannot be used as a ground for setting wages or other conditions of employment. Experience, however, generally entitles one to better pay; this has been agreed on in many collective agreements.

On the World Day for Decent Work, tens of millions of union members all over the world join to take action on behalf of decent work and wages that are sufficient for living.

The International Trade Union Confederation ITUC has announced “Organise!" as the global theme for the World Day for Decent Work 2013. Through this theme, the ITUC wishes to emphasise that only 7 per cent of all labour worldwide is organised in trade unions. Also in Finland, the high level of organisation is the best guarantee for decent work.

More information

• SAK: Tatu Tuomela, Youth Secretary, tel. +358 (0)40 534 0577
• STTK: Ulla Hyvönen, Senior Advisor, Student and Youth Policies, tel. +358 (0)44 7777 089
• Akava: Mika Sahamies, Senior Advisor, tel. +358 (0)50 372 8366
• SASK: Jukka Pääkkönen, Communications Manager, tel. +358 (0)40 521 4478