The main contracting organizations of the university sector have accepted the conciliation proposal – all industrial action is cancelled

The main contracting organizations of the university sector, the Negotiation Organization for Public Sector Professionals JUKO, the Federation of Salaried Employees Pardia and the Trade Union for the Public and Welfare Sectors JHL and The Association of Finnish Independent Education Employers (AFIEE) have accepted the proposal made by the national conciliator Janne Metsämäki.

As an agreement has been reached, all industrial action is cancelled. Six universities were about to go on strike March 7 and seven universities March 14.  Also, the ban regarding overtime and shift changes set by JUKO March 7 has been cancelled. This means that all employees must go to work as normal March 7. JUKO represents over 18.000 members in 20 different trade unions affiliated with Akava in these collective bargaining.

Thank you for your support!

The collective bargaining was very challenging this time and we can be satisfied with the end-result. The support and readiness for industrial action of the whole membership pool was a significant help.

– It is very positive that we were able to secure salary raises that are equivalent to the general level for the university employees also. That is something the university employees have earned throughout the years by being extremely flexible. The universities can afford general level raises. This would not have been possible without the help of all our members. A big thank you to all says JUKO’s negotiation manager Markku Kojo.

The renewal of the salary system, which caused a lot of friction during the collective bargaining, will be moved to a working group.

– The changes proposed by the Employer were far too great and affections unknown to be executed this quickly and were impossible to accept. Now the salary system will be renewed carefully and in cooperation with the Employees’ side also, says Kojo.

Due to the resistance by the Employer party, there will be no major changes in the texts. However, JUKO considers it a very positive outcome that a working group was set to diminish the vast number of fixed-term employment contracts. Also, those working on fixed-term contracts are especially considered in the renewal of the salary system.

The collective bargaining result in a nutshell

Duration

The new collective agreement for the universities is valid February 1.2018–March 31.2020.

Salary raises

The salaries will be raised during the collective agreement’s term 3,45%, which is equivalent to the general level
 
General raises

• April 1.2018: 1,0 %
• April 1.2019: 1,1 %

Arrangement and local installments

• January 1.2019: 0,5 %
• June 1.2019: 0,85 %

The Arrangement and local installments will be used to develop the salary system and to provide personal raises locally. If an agreement about the salary system is not reached by September 30. 2018, 0,3% of the arrangement installment due January 1. 2019, will be withheld.

Renewal of the salary system

• A working group will prepare the changes in the salary system by September 30.2018. The new salary system will be effective January 1. 2019. The working group will resume their work based on the draft made during the collective bargaining.
• The parties have already agreed on some of the topics.
  In the renewed salary system current personal percentages (personal levels) will be changed into new categories. There will be 4-5 new categories. The lowest current persentage will be moved to 4-10%.
• The new salary system will especially consider fixed-term employees, and also grant the previous average performance levels.
• 1,35% of the arrangement installment will be used to develop the salary system.  
• Should the salary system renewal working group reach an agreement, will 0,5% be used to help alleviate the costs from deleting the lowest performance levels in January 1.2019. The 0,85% which is paid out June 1.2019, will be used for the personal salary parts.
• If the salary system renewal working group does not reach an agreement by September 30.2018, 0,3% of the arrangement installment will be withheld and the employer may choose how they will divide the 0,85%.

Important changes in the working groups

Working hours working group

The working group will consider the maximum hours of contact teaching and the renewal of those and will also consider the new teaching methods.

Working group for the fixed-term employment contracts

The working group will examine the fixed-term employment contracts nationally. Also, the working group will update the previous guidelines for the universities about the use of fixed-term contracts. And also gather information about the good local practices regarding fixed-term contracts. The aim is to diminish the amount of fixed-term contracts by education.  
 
The whole conciliation proposal may be found at the National Conciliator’s webpage.