Two Industrial Union MPs
In the parliamentary elections 2 April two MPs with a background in the Industrial Union were elected into the Finnish Parliament: Social Democrats Niina Malm from Imatra and Timo Suhonen from Varkaus.
In her election campaign, Niina Malm focused on working life issues, and in her interview with this magazine she thinks that these are important for voters. She was re-elected and garnered 8 180 votes, the second highest in her electoral district Southeast Finland.
Malm became involved in politics in 2008 as she was in three-shift work at the steel factory and as a mother of small children found it difficult to balance work and family life.
This is one of the topics she will focus on, but there are other ones, too. Living wage, make wage dumping a crime and root out the grey economy.
Timo Suhonen is a new MP with 6 510 votes in Savo-Karjala electoral district. He works as an Industrial Union organiser in his region.
Whatever will be the complexion of the next Government, Suhonen says he will continue to work with the issue most important for him: to strengthen the position of the wage and salary earners.
– There are already many working people under the poverty line. Everyone has to be paid a living wage.