During the current Government’s term of office, many cutbacks have been made in welfare and people’s income in Finland. The cutbacks include major changes to housing allowance, unemployment security and more. At the same time the Government is going to raise for example service charges of health centres. All these are political decisions.

You decide what kind of leaders will make decisions in municipalities and wellbeing services counties: will they drive cutback policies or invest in services and the residents’ wellbeing?

Stand for election and save the future of services in your area.

Or get involved in the campaign of a good candidate and work for an important cause!

Municipalities decide things like where the closest library or school is located, what food is served in schools, and the routes and schedules of public transport. Wellbeing services counties are responsible for health and rescue services and elderly care in most of Finland. All these depend on political decisions.

The funding of municipalities and wellbeing services counties comes mainly from the state. In other words, the politicians who have been elected in the parliamentary elections are in charge of the funding. The councillors of the municipalities and wellbeing services counties decide how and where that money from the state is spent: are the services produced by their own skilled staff or outsourced from the market?

Many municipalities have bitterly experienced that outsourcing can have a considerable negative effect on services. Yle found out (article in Finnish) in late 2023 that wellbeing services counties spend billions of euros per year on outsourced services

Public employees are often the most affordable and the most efficient option to get the work done.

Well-functioning and comprehensive public services are the foundation of our welfare state. Without public services our society would be unequal and only the rich could afford a good life.

The current Government of Finland has tried to undermine public services in an alarming way. What we need now is solidary and fair policies that pursue equality and equity.

Public services need countless professionals, whose work is often taken for granted.

For example, running the health services requires the work of care assistants, practical nurses, registered nurses, paramedics, social workers, personal assistants, home support workers, instruments attendants, institutional cleaners, catering workers and more.

It is vital for municipalities and wellbeing services counties to hold on to skilled employees and attract new ones when many of the current ones retire. This means that pay, working conditions and management and leadership have to be in order. It is important that employees can influence their work and the way things are done in their workplace.

Well-functioning services do not exist without skilled workforce. It is essential to have enough people doing this important work so that the employees can cope with the workload.

When employees’ well-being is secured, that also helps to reduce sick leave days. With that, municipalities and wellbeing services counties save money.

Motiivi magazine will come out before the elections in 2025

JHL’s member magazine Motiivi offers an election advertisement spot for county and municipal election candidates at a special price, plus discounts on other advertisements! These offers apply only to advertisements of the members of Trade Union JHL. Standard prices apply to everyone else.

The dimensions of the election advertisement are 55x145mm + 5mm bleed, and it costs €550.

Our members get a 20% discount on other advertisements.

Issue 1:

• Book by 16 December 2024
• Submit material by 8 January 2025
• The magazine comes out on 5 February 2025

Issue 2:

• Book by 10 February 2025
• Submit material by 5 March 2025
• The magazine comes out on 2 April 2025

Motiivi’s information for advertisers (in Finnish)

Advertising sales are managed by Saarsalo Oy, timo.lepisto(at)saarsalo.fi, phone 044 534 9878

It is wise for municipalities and wellbeing services counties to run their own services. That way things will be done efficiently and properly.

A municipality that produces most of its services, owns its energy company and waterworks and produces affordable rental housing for its residents will be able to make the decisions that affect the residents also when circumstances in the world around change.

Municipalities and wellbeing services counties can oversee their own operations better than the business of a private company. Private services complement the municipalities’ and wellbeing services counties’ own services.

Producing services costs private companies just as much as it costs municipalities. If private services bring savings in the accounts of municipalities or wellbeing services counties, it is because employees have a lower pay and poorer terms and conditions of employment. The professionals of public services take care of us all: your child and your ageing family members. They deserve a proper compensation for that work.

If you are a council member, you can have a say in what kind of decisions are made about services.

The duties of municipalities include these and more:

• day care and education
• public transport
• water services and waste management
• environmental services, such as maintenance of parks and other green spaces
• technical services
• integration of immigrants
• employment services
• industrial policy

In other words, municipalities take care that children can go to day care centres and schools, young people can meet at youth centres and all residents have access to well-maintained parks, outdoor sports facilities and beaches.

Municipal councils are also responsible for the municipality’s operations and for its finances, which include for example municipal tax. Municipal tax determines how much money municipalities can collect for producing services.

When you vote in the municipal elections, you affect the decisions about the future of services. Your candidate may cast the vote that saves your neighbourhood library, sports classes in the nearby school or the park close to your home.

The duties of wellbeing services counties include these and more:

• primary health care
• specialised health care
• social welfare services
• services for children, youth and families
• mental health and substance abuse services
• services for persons with disabilities
• emergency medical services
• rescue services

The county councillors decide how the services of the wellbeing services counties are organised. When you vote in the county elections, you affect how these vital services will function in the future in your wellbeing services county.