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"JANUARY BETROTHAL"

Name used to refer to the event which took place during the 1939-1940 Winter War against the Soviet Union, when an official declaration was issued by the two central employers' and trade-union confederations to the effect that they recognized each other as equal bargaining partners and undertook to negotiate on terms and conditions of employment as far as possible in a spirit of mutual understanding. The role of matchmaker in this "betrothal which is not intended to end in marriage" was played by the then Minister for Social Affairs, Fagerholm. That declaration, bolstered by the unity of the nation, was followed by a general agreement concluded in the war year 1944 which was then renewed in 1946 after the end of the war. The most recent general agreement dates from 1997. These general agreements between the labour-market confederations and similar agreements between other present-day confederations serve as a basis for the negotiation and conclusion of agreements between the employers and trade unions. The "January Betrothal" is still regarded as a significant event in the historical development of Finland's industrial relations system. See collective bargaining system.)

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