Ammattiliitto

Ammattiliitto is the Finnish term for a trade union representing employees in a particular occupation, trade, or sector. Membership is voluntary, and individual unions typically belong to larger national confederations such as the Finnish Confederation of Trade Unions (SAK), the Finnish Confederation of Professionals (STTK), or the Confederation of Unions for Academic Professionals (AKAVA). The term is used generically to refer to unions at local, sectoral, and national levels in Finland.

The primary roles of ammattiliitot include negotiating collective agreements with employers and employer associations, which set terms of employment such as wages, working hours, and vacations. They also provide services to members, including legal assistance, training, career guidance, and access to unemployment funds. In addition to representing workers in bargaining, ammattiliitot engage in social dialogue at company, sector, and national levels and may organize industrial action when necessary to defend workers’ rights.

Structure and relationships: Local unions are often organized by workplace or occupation and may be part of broader sectoral unions or confederations. The Finnish system emphasizes collaboration among unions, employers, and the state in many labor market matters, a framework sometimes described as centralized bargaining and tripartite dialogue.

Context and history: Trade unions have been central to Finland’s labor market for more than a century, contributing to wage formation and working conditions through collective bargaining. The ammattiliitto system is characterized by voluntary membership and a long tradition of consensus-driven labor relations, though influence varies by sector and national economic conditions. See also: SAK, STTK, AKAVA.