Industrial Union Assembly elections 2023 · Parliamentary elections 2023
We are facing a busy election spring: Industrial Union Congress elections from the 10th to the 31st of March 2023 and parliamentary elections on the 2nd of April 2023 (advance voting between the 22nd and 28th of March). The elections come at a time when there is a stronger sense of uncertainty than we have seen for a long time.
- The Union Assembly elections will determine the weight of the Industrial Union as the guardian of its members’ interests in relation to employers and political decision-makers.
- The parliamentary elections will determine what kind of government will be leading the country and making laws.
Choose your candidate in the Parliamentary Elections
Get your hand out of my pocket – many great reasons to vote
1. Take your hands off my unemployment benefit
- Make sure to vote if you want the unemployment benefit to remain unchanged and if you refuse to accept unemployment benefit cuts of as much as 200 days and 500 million euros.
2. I have a right to go on strike if decision-makers refuse to listen to me otherwise
- Vote for your right to strike and for keeping this right unchanged.
3. The Competitiveness Pact is making me poorer
- Vote to say no thanks to competitiveness pacts, because the former one is still making us poorer.
4. Only a collective agreement will secure my pay rise
- Vote to maintain and extend the universal binding nature of collective agreements.
5. I think wage theft is a crime
- Vote to ensure that foreign workers in Finland have the same terms and conditions of employment as everyone else.
6. The shop steward sticks up for me
- Vote to have a say in how strong the position of a shop steward is.
Make a voter promise
There are some 200,000 of us in the Industrial Union, and we are powerful. That gives us 200,000 reasons to make the smartest decision of the year.
Make a voter promise: “I promise to vote in the Union Assembly and parliamentary elections for candidates who are committed to promoting my interests. Get your hand out of my pocket.”
Make your promise visible, share it on your social media accounts and encourage others to vote as well.
Get your hand out of my pocket.
Take your hands off my unemployment benefit
Serious proposals are currently being made to cut unemployment security by half. Are you worried about making ends meet in case you lose your job? How can you look for a new job if you can’t manage your bills? The purpose of unemployment security is to provide security while you find a new job. That is why cuts to unemployment security cannot be accepted. Now is the time to protect your right to unemployment security and say no to any reforms that weaken it.
I have a right to go on strike if decision-makers refuse to listen to me otherwise
What would happen if your right to strike to promote pay increases was taken away? It would mean that the employer could unilaterally decide how much they pay and for what and to whom. The right to strike is a guarantee of fair negotiations.
The Competitiveness Pact is making me poorer
Remember the Competitiveness Pact that was forced on us through legislation? What did it do to our holiday bonuses, working hours and take-home pay? The transfer of employers’ contributions alone has already cost workers EUR 10 billion – and the clock is ticking. Did you know that a Finn with a median income pays more than 30,000 euros under the Competitiveness Pact over their career?
Only a collective agreement will secure my pay rise
What would happen to your pay rise if there was no collective agreement? Could you trust that by negotiating on your own your pay would match you experience and skills? How could you be sure that your earnings level would keep up with the general income development without general increases? That’s why we have collective agreements. They guarantee us better working conditions, livelihood and security than we would have without such agreements.
I think wage theft is a crime
What if your employer violated the collective agreement, failed to pay your salary, or stopped you from taking your annual leave? What would your legal protections be and what would the consequences to the employer be? There are far too many workers in the contract sectors of the Industrial Union who are exploited and underpaid. Did you know that wage theft is not a criminal offence punishable under Finnish law?
The shop steward sticks up for me
What if your employer unilaterally decided not to pay shift allowances citing the company’s poor performance? What if your working hours were increased with no compensation? That would be unacceptable. You have a right to ensure that your wages and terms of employment are not cut below the minimum level determined by the collective agreement. And remember: the shop steward at your workplace is always there for you.
