Where to get help?

Some­ti­mes problems arise in working life. Where can you get help? Here are some places worth remem­be­ring when you need help.

16.6.2021

First contact the Industrial Union shop steward at your workplace. If the problem concerns some other issues or needs more specia­li­sed advice, you can contact the union directly. For contact infor­ma­tion, go to the web pages www.teollisuusliitto.fi/en.

The union has advice lines, too. Emplo­y­ment Advice at number 020 690 447 can help in matters rela­ted to collec­tive agree­ments and condi­tions of emplo­y­ment. These can be, for example, midweek holi­day compen­sa­tions, annual holi­days, salary increa­ses, emplo­y­ment cont­racts or service increments.

You can call Working Envi­ron­ment and Social Secu­rity Advice at number 020 690 449. It covers all workplace health and safety and equa­lity matters. At this number they can also help you with matters rela­ted to income during inca­pacity for work, reha­bi­li­ta­tion and pensions as well as ques­tions about paren­tal leave.

These advice lines are open from Monday to Friday from 8.30 to 15.00.

SAK, the trade union confe­de­ra­tion, of which the Industrial Union is a member, runs an emplo­yee rights advi­sory service for immi­grants, At Work in Finland. Their telep­hone number is 0800 414 004 and e‑mail workinfinland@sak.fi. The line is open between 14.00 and 17.00 on Mondays and between 9.00 and 11.00 and 12.00 and 15.00 on Tues­days and Wednesdays.

You are encou­ra­ged to call this service if you don’t unders­tand your emplo­y­ment cont­ract or would like to speak to a specia­list to check the cont­ract before you sign it, if you suspect that you are not paid correctly  pay not getting shift work or holi­day bonuses or if you are facing harass­ment or discrimination.

Detai­led advice can be given on ques­tions concer­ning holi­day entit­le­ment and working hours. The service can tell you about normal wage levels in your industry, too.

The situa­tion in seaso­nal agricul­tu­ral work is often unclear. The Industrial Union has publis­hed – toget­her with other orga­ni­sa­tions – a compre­hen­sive guide to the condi­tions of work for this branch.

In English It is called Terms of emplo­y­ment for seaso­nal workers in agricul­ture for 2021 in English. You can down­load it from the union web pages. The infor­ma­tion inclu­ded is also avai­lable on the union web pages in Finnish, Swedish, Russian and Ukrainian.

TEXT HEIKKI JOKINEN