Cherry-picking labour laws

Arto Satonen, Minister of Emplo­y­ment, claims the new unjust laws are just minor changes in step with other Nordic count­ries. To put it mildly, this is simply not true. On the contrary.

The Orpo-Purra Govern­ment is simply cherry-picking labour laws from other count­ries. They only selected a handful of such changes that clearly benefit emplo­yers and company owners. In many cases, they modified these changes to be even more disad­van­ta­geous to employees.

The Swedish labour market model is based on balanced rights, a culture of negotia­tion and the right of the employee to be heard. All this creates mutual trust which is extre­mely impor­tant when it comes to reaching common goals.

The Orpo-Purra Govern­ment is now taking Finland in preci­sely the opposite direc­tion. In Sweden, the law stipu­lates that in compa­nies with more than 25 emplo­yees, there must be at least two emplo­yees’ repre­sen­ta­tives on the company board.

Labour law is a whole. Its compo­nent parts should be balanced. The law should protect the weaker part.

This is to give emplo­yees better access to infor­ma­tion and the possi­bi­lity to be heard, somet­hing our Govern­ment is unwil­ling to support. In Finland, in compa­nies with at least 150 emplo­yees, an emplo­yees’ repre­sen­ta­tive can partici­pate the company admini­stra­tive body meeting in discus­sions concer­ning company finances and the status of emplo­yees. This is enough, the Govern­ment thinks.

Another impor­tant issue is the interpre­ta­tion privi­lege. This means whoever has the right to interpret rules and agree­ments in cases of dispute. In Finland, it is the employer. In Sweden, usually the emplo­yees and the local trade union branch have it.

Labour law is a whole. Its compo­nent parts should be balanced. The law should protect the weaker part. Now, the Orpo-Purra Govern­ment is trying to break these golden rules. Their policy will move us even further from our Nordic neigh­bours and closer to our eastern neighbour.

Which side are you on?

At present, our law requires “relevant and serious grounds” for a dismissal. The Orpo-Purra Govern­ment will drop the serious grounds and allow relevant grounds as sufficient reason for dismissal.

This is clearly designed to make dismissal easier. In law, even a simple word can make a diffe­rence and is not dropped without serious grounds.

The German economy has been doing well for decades. Yet, dismissal is much more difficult there than here, and no Govern­ment has attempted to challenge that.

The Orpo-Purra Govern­ment will drop the serious grounds and allow relevant grounds as sufficient reason for dismissal.

Giving long terms of notice is the norm and depends on the length of your emplo­y­ment. Firing someone needs reasons defined in the law.

In Germany, in every company with more than five emplo­yees they can form a works council. The council has a lot to say in the company.

In case of dismissal, the works council must be heard. It will find out whether the dismissal is legal. If it disagrees, the dismissal is not valid and the employer can take the case to the labour court.

The radical dismissal policy of the Orpo-Purra Govern­ment is not based on bolste­ring the economy, but on ideology. The Govern­ment has chosen its side. Which side are you on?