The Negotiation Organisation for Public Sector Professionals JUKO represents 200,000 Akava members in public and publicly funded sectors. The negotiation organisation is a whole where examples can also be drawn from neighboring sectors.
In the municipal and welfare sector, the state, and the church sector, a salary solution in line with the general trend has already been achieved, so the goal of increases following the general trend in the university sector is justified.
Finland is committed to raising research and development funding to four percent of GDP by 2030. The high-quality research conducted at our universities and the top-level education based on it enable competitive development and innovation activities. Without the committed staff of the universities, this result cannot be achieved.
“The university staff deserves fair salary increases that improve purchasing power.”
The Finnish Education Employers (Sivista), representing university employers, is pushing for the removal of teaching hour caps. Teaching hour caps are a protective mechanism written into the collective agreement to protect teaching and research staff from work overload.
The teaching hour cap provision in the collective agreement is important for all university sector unions who have teaching and research staff as their members and whom JUKO represents.
“Defending teaching hour caps by striking is a big thing for university staff.”
There is a well-known saying at the negotiating tables: “A good agreement is one where everyone is somewhat dissatisfied.” Now it is time for contract solutions in the university sector. Conciliation continues this week on Thursday and Friday, hopefully, solutions will be found there.
Jouni Vattulainen
The author is the CEO of JUKO
