SAK: It’s time to stop engaging unpaid labour

“The government must send a clear message that it will no longer consider downgrading terms and conditions of employment, cutting unemployment benefits, or seeking new ways of engaging unpaid workers,” the SAK Congress insists in its resolution.

For example government sources have proposed the introduction of “work demonstrations”, whereby unemployed jobseekers could work in a job for some period of time without formal employment or pay, thereby demonstrating their abilities to the employer.

Meeting in Tampere, the SAK Congress affirmed that employees would bear the heaviest burden in turning the Finnish economy around if the national Competitiveness Pact takes effect.

“It will then be the turn of employers and businesses to make investment decisions and create new jobs in Finland.”

The ultimate fate of the Competitiveness Pact will be sealed on Friday 10 June when the General Council of the Finnish Metalworkers’ Union confirms its approval of the deal.

Wage and business income should be equivalent in unemployment benefit

In a special position paper the SAK Congress stresses that social security should provide an income guarantee regardless of the customary mode of working. We should introduce a unified unemployment benefit system that simultaneously insures both wage and business income.

SAK will launch the Time of Opportunities project with a view to improving the work of the future and making the daily lives of employees and the world of work more humane and equitable.

The 19th SAK Congress ends on Wednesday. The work of the organisation’s Congress and Council will in future be done by a Delegate Council that will meet at least twice annually.