NCOs to march under SAK banner

At the end of May the Trade Union for the Public and Welfare Sectors - JHL approved the Finnish NCOs' Union as an affiliated branch. The new union affiliate represents non-commissioned officers in the Finnish defence forces, together with aircraft ground crews, mechanics, contractual military personnel, and military crisis management professionals. The NCOs' Union is chaired by Petteri Leino and has about 2,500 members.

The Trade Union for the Public and Welfare Sectors - JHL is Finland's largest trade union, and is affiliated to the Central Organisation of Finnish Trade Unions - SAK. The 220,000 members of JHL work in central and local government, parishes and the private welfare sector.

Besides the NCOs' Union, JHL has three other affiliated trade unions: The Finnish Prison Officers' Union, the Finnish Customs Officers' Union, and the Coastguard Union. An affiliate is an independent trade union that relies on JHL for lobbying, collective bargaining and other union services.

Before joining JHL the NCOs' Union was a member of the Federation of Salaried Employees - Pardia, which is in turn affiliated to the Finnish Confederation of Salaried Employees - STTK.