JHL objects the Finnish Government's proposal for “sack act”

Trade Union JHL does not accept the Finnish Governments’ proposal to make dismissing employees easier. The proposed change would undermine workers’ employment security even more than what was stated in the Government Programme.

The President of the Trade Union for the Public and Welfare Sectors JHL, Håkan Ekström, objects the Finnish Government’s proposal that would drastically weaken workers’ terms and conditions of employment. Now dismissing an employee requires a proper and weighty reason. In the proposal, which has been nicknamed as “the sack act”, the law would be changed so that a proper reason is all that is needed. The reason would no longer have to be considered weighty.

Ekström thinks it’s good that the Industrial Union managed to get a requirement for a proper and weighty reason for dismissals into their new collective agreement.

- I’m sure that trade unions are going to follow the example set by the Industrial Union in their own negotiations. Employees’ rights are not cheap bargaining chips, even though the Government of this country would like to undermine them in every way they can.

According to Ekström, the Government’s proposal does not contain anything positive for employees. The Government has listened closely to the wishes of the employer side and fulfilled them and continues ideological oppression of employees.

- The Government is going to remove the weighty reason. Furthermore, for example the overall assessment concerning dismissals, the principles of giving a warning, and the employer’s obligation to investigate the possibility of moving the employee to other work are also going to be weakened. The goal is just to undermine workers’ employment security.

The proposal on changing the legislation on termination grounds related to the employee's person has been submitted for commenting on 24 February.

More information:
Håkan Ekström, President of JHL, 040 828 2865