Super weekend of events brings together JHL members with immigrant background
During the last weekend of November, there will be two simultaneous events organised in Helsinki for JHL’s immigrant-origin members. The union is putting more effort into immigrant work and invites all star professionals to join the activities.
Our immigrant activities are lively, and they are expanding. During the last weekend of November, two events meant for our immigrant-origin members will be arranged in Helsinki – a networking and education meeting for immigrant-origin shop stewards, and a training event for the immigrant networks.
– Our two-year immigrant project is coming to an end at the turn of the year, and we wanted to end it with a bang, JHL’s Project Worker Linda Savonen says, happy about the event weekend ahead.
Both training events have their own separate programmes, but the events will be combined on Sunday. In the meeting, immigrants with positions of responsibility explain about their roles and encourage the actives in our immigrant networks to become shop stewards and occupational safety and health representatives.
https://www.jhl.fi/en/2022/02/10/neleah-kagiri-is-the-new-power-figure-of-jhls-immigrant-projecta-foreign-jobseeker-must-be-viewed-as-an-individual-not-as-a-representative-of-some-group/
The goal of JHL’s two-year immigrant project has been to attract as many immigrants and immigrant-origin people as possible who work in our occupational sectors to join the union’s activities and make them covered by our protection of interests. Together we are stronger.
Recently, our Union Council decided to put more effort into immigrant activities by hiring two permanent employees for carrying out immigrant work. The shortage of labour is increasing in many sectors, and Finland needs more and more labour immigration.
– I’m very glad that the Union Council decided to establish the status of immigrant activities by hiring two permanent employees. We can be proud of the fact that JHL is a forerunner in this matter, Savonen comments.
At the moment, approximately 6,300 JHL members have some other native language than Finnish, Swedish or Sami.
Networking and education meeting for immigrant-origin shop stewards and occupational safety and health representatives
A networking and education meeting meant specifically for immigrant-origin shop stewards and occupational safety and health representatives will be organised on 25–27 November in the Scandic Pasila hotel. This is the first meeting of its kind in JHL’s history.
– Although the number of immigrant members is increasing in the union, immigrants are still under-represented in positions of responsibility.
Linda Savonen hopes that the first networking meeting will enable JHL to provide a permanent event path through which to provide support to immigrant-origin pioneers. Those participating in the event got to draw up the programme themselves. In particular, a need for mutual peer support and experience sharing was raised. There will be, say, communication and performing training arranged for the participants.
https://www.jhl.fi/en/2022/11/11/multicultural-work-community-achieved-a-positive-spiral-its-easier-to-join-the-trade-union-when-co-workers-are-already-members/
Immigrant network training event
A training event for the immigrant networks will take place on 26–27 November in the Scandic Park hotel.
The event’s themes are rules of working life, shop steward work, collective agreements, myJHL, union courses, and drafting the immigrant networks’ action plans.
What’s an immigrant network?
Trade Union JHL has six regional immigrant networks. The networks have been founded to lower the threshold for immigrant-origin star professionals to become active members. The networks are also a springboard to local branch activities.
The duty of the networks is to make our immigrant members better informed about working life and employee rights. In addition, they function as forums for discussing the trade union and current working life matters. Having fun is also an important aspect!
https://www.jhl.fi/en/2022/10/07/jhls-immigrant-network-extended-to-eastern-finland-chair-wendy-savolainen-it-makes-me-happy-and-proud-to-see-the-trade-union-open-itself-to-immigrants/
Here’s a list of our immigrant networks:
- Southern Finland, KaMuT
- Southeast Finland
- Southwest Finland, MeVe
- Eastern Finland
- Ostrobothnia, PoVer
- Inner Finland, Jalla-Jalla!
Four of the networks have been founded during the past two years as our immigrant project has been ongoing, but KaMuT and MeVe have been operating longer.
Each network has its own page with instructions on how to join it! Every JHL member with an immigrant background is welcome to join an immigrant network.
Are you new to us and not yet a member?