This document provides an overview of SAK, the Central Organisation of Finnish Trade Unions. SAK represents over 1 million members across 21 affiliated unions in Finland. It works to harmonize trade union goals, protect workers' rights and interests through collective bargaining, ensure social security benefits, and advocate for policies that promote employment and worker welfare. SAK engages in national and international cooperation to strengthen workers' rights and trade unions.

2. WHAT IS SAK?
 A trade union confederation that harmonises and
develops the goals and work of its affiliated unions
➤ This work is based on the participation and
solidarity of members and workers’ representatives
 A specialist in working life and the labour market
 A movement for social reform
 A dependable partner in bargaining and co-
operation

3. WHAT IS SAK?
 In a changeable national and international
operating environment SAK ensures:
➤ Conditions for affiliates to agree legally binding
minimum terms and conditions of employment for
their members
➤ Fundamental rights and security in the world of
work
➤ Earnings-linked social security
➤ A lobbying channel for employment and social
security

4. Competence is always in
demand.
” Nowadays and always,Nowadays and always,
the most important job ofthe most important job of
a trade union is to defenda trade union is to defend
its members’ interests andits members’ interests and
to oversee agreements andto oversee agreements and
regulations in theregulations in the
bargaining sectorbargaining sector.”

5. MISSION
The mission of the SAK trade union movement is
 to improve the welfare, living standards and
democratic participation of employees and
 to promote a fair and equitable society.

6. STRATEGIC OBJECTIVES
1. A world of work that promotes social affluence
2. A strong consensus society
3. Full employment
4. Comprehensive social security and a high
standard of welfare services
5. Strong organisational capacity

7. ” A union must stand up
for the workers and
steadfastly resist
employer manoeuvres.”
All work is
worthy.

8. A WORLD OF WORK THAT PROMOTES
SOCIAL AFFLUENCE
 Human rights in the world of work
➤ More and better jobs
 Decent work improves productivity and quality
 On-the-job learning is normal at work
 Meaningful work promotes wellbeing
 Flexible working hours promoting health and
respecting employee needs

9. HUMAN RIGHTS IN THE WORLD OF
WORK
 The right to work
 The right to a wage that ensures a decent income
 The right to fair and equitable treatment
 The right to safe working conditions
 The right to work that enhances vocational skills and
to democratic channels of influence at work
 The right to organise in trade unions, the right to
free collective bargaining and the right to strike

10. AIMING FOR FULL EMPLOYMENT
 A better employment situation must be the main
aim of economic and taxation policy
 Effective, high standard employment policy
 Vocational qualifications for all
 A universal right to freedom from discrimination at
work
 The keys to growth in business policy

11. ””I want a union thatI want a union that
takes care of our termstakes care of our terms
of employment, andof employment, and
stands firm over safetystands firm over safety
at work”at work”

12. A STRONG CONSENSUS SOCIETY
 Principle of solidarity – joint action by trade unions
 Pay settlements must improve purchasing power
 Labour legislation must guarantee basic rights at
work
 SAK is actively involved in the work of the
European trade union movement

13. SECURITY AND SERVICES
 Improved coverage of social security
 Public employment services must be enhanced
 Safeguards for the level and financing of earnings-
related pensions
 A sustainable policy for prolonging working careers
 Flexibility in family leave
 Reduced health disparities

14. 1907 SAK established
1917 Finland becomes independent, 8-hour working day
1922 Employment Contracts Act, 4 – 7 days of annual
holiday
1930s National Pension Act, 5 – 12 days of annual holiday
1940s Collective bargaining system, workers’ representative
system, Labour Court, child benefit
1950s General strike, 45-hour working week
1960s Employment pension system, Sickness Insurance Act,
40-hour / 5-day working week, annual
holiday pay agreement, first
incomes policy agreement (Liinamaa I)
1970s Minimum wage, holiday return bonus, 7-month
maternity leave, winter holiday,
Occupational Health Care Act, Act on
Co-operation within Undertakings
1980s Study Leave Act, Act on Equality between Women and
Men, parental and child care leave
1990s Improved conditions in casual employment, annual
holiday bank, Working Hours Act
2000s 4-hour minimum working time, pension reform,
subscriber liability for outsourced labour,

15. ”The trade union
movement must
stand united and
solidarity must
remain its
watchword.”

16. SAK: A MILLION STRONG
 1 038 000 members in SAK-affiliated unions
 100,000 activists
 21 affiliated unions
➤ about 2,900 branches
➤ about 100 local organisations
➤ 13 regional offices and a representative in Åland
➤ 1,500 staff in SAK and its affiliates
➤ 100 staff in SAK

17. SAK – A UNION FOR UNIONS

18. WHO DO WE REPRESENT?
 SAK represents 1,038,000 union members:
➤ Industry 450 525 (43 %)
➤ Private services 248 381 (24 %)
➤ Public sector 238 861 (23 %)
➤ Transport 100 106 (10 %)
➤ 170,000 members under 30 years of age
➤ 482,039 women and 556,360 men
 The women and men of SAK
 MEN WOMEN
Private services 24 % 76 %
Industry 77 % 23 %
Public sector 32 % 68 %
Transport 72 % 28 %
Average income (€/month) 2 810 € 2 438 €

19. MEMBERSHIP OF AFFILIATES IN 2013
UNION TOTAL
Women
%
Finnish Transport Workers´ Union 50 582 11
Finnish Aviation Union 3 712 25
Trade Union for the Public and Welfare Sectors JHL (total including
Customs, Coastguard, Railwaymen, Prison Officers, NCOs) 238 861 68
Union of Foremen in Commerce 7 655 67
Metalworkers´ Union 152 476 18
Service Union United PAM 229 811 78
Paperworkers´ Union 39 665 24
Finnish Post and Logistics Union 29 593 50
Wood and Allied Workers´ Union 37 534 23
Construction Trade Union 88 909 7
Railway Salaried Staff´s Union 1 220 54
Finnish Food Workers´ Union 36 237 58
Finnish Elite Athletes Union 3 216 18
Finnish Cabin Crew Union 1 875 89
Finnish Seamen´s Union 9 841 41
Finnish Musicians´ Union 3 331 32
Finnish Social Democratic Journalists´ Union 347 31
Finnish Electrical Workers´ Union 35 615 4
Industrial Union TEAM 60 089 48
Theatre and Media Employees in Finland 4 368 64
Finnish Locomotivemen´s Union 3 283 1
General Union of Journalists 179 38
Yhteensä 1 038 399 46

20. MAIN REASONS FOR JOINING A UNION*
 Pay security and job security: 45 %
 Unemployment security: 30 %
* Source: Labour market policy opinion survey, spring 2012

21. SAK IN THE REGIONS
 SAK works regionally and locally
 Promoting co-operation with affiliated unions and
officials
 Promoting trade union organisation
 Lobbying regionally to improve society

22. SAK IN THE REGIONS
 Offices in the Eastern Finland operating area
➤ Joensuu, Kuopio and Mikkeli
 Offices in the Southern Finland operating area
➤ Helsinki, Lahti and Lappeenranta
 Offices in the South-Western Finland operating
area
➤ Pori and Turku
 Offices in the Western Finland operating area
➤ Jyväskylä, Tampere and Vaasa
 Offices in the Northern Finland operating area
➤ Oulu and Rovaniemi
 Representative in Åland

23. SAK AND YOUNG ADULTS
 170,000 members under 30 years of age
 Youth Committee
➤ Co-ordinates union youth work, expresses opinions
and prepares proposals concerning young adults.
 Arvo magazine for young adults
 Regional action groups for young people

24. ”The traditional march with
banners and a brass band is not
the only way to make a stand
and lobby effectively in all
directions.”

25. SAK AS AN NGO
 the largest women’s organisation in Finland
 the largest immigrant organisation in Finland

26. TRADE UNION DENSITY AND
COLLECTIVE BARGAINING COVERAGE*
*The latest data available Source: OECD Employment Outlook 2012

27. STRUCTURE OF SAK
Congress
General Council
Executive Board
Specialist committees and Project
Groups
1 representative for every 3,000 union members
119 representatives from workplaces
18 representatives from affiliated unions,
plus the President and Vice-President of SAK
22 groups, representatives from trade unions
Affiliated trade unions (21)
Union districts / regions
Union branches (2 900)
SAK regional organisation
• 13 regional committees
• 13 offices in 5 operating areas
Local organisations (110)
• Trade union branches as members
Workplaces
• About 100,000 workers’
representatives

28. SAK ORGANISATION

29. SOCIAL PARTNERS
SAK
Member Unions
STTK
Member Unions
Akava
Member Unions
Confederation of
Finnish Industries EK
Local government
employers
Office for the
Government as
Employer
Labour Market
Organisation of the
Church
Central
government

30. SAK INTERNATIONALLY
 Improving core labour rights,
especially trade union rights all
over the world
 Solidarity projects (Trade Union
Solidarity Centre of Finland
SASK)
 Influencing on EU policies
 Collaboration in the Baltic Sea
region (BASTUN)
FinUnions
Joint EU Representation
of SAK, STTK and Akava
in Brussels
Council of Nordic Trade
Unions
NFS
ETUC
European Trade Union
Confederation
International Trade
Union ConfederationITUC
Trade Union Advisory
Committee to the OECDTUAC
Trade Union Solidarity
Centre of FinlandSASK
ILO
International
Labour Organization

31. ”The strength of the trade union movement
is at the workplace”
Thank you!