Social partners publish joint report on working time

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In June 1998, Finland's social partners published a joint report on working time. The report makes no statement on the issue of cutting working hours.

In the 1995-7 central incomes policy agreement, a group of social partner representatives was given the task of finding out the needs of companies, other employing organisations and their personnel in relation to working time developments and their effects on employment. The group issued its report on 17 June 1998. It was made up of representatives of: the Academic Professionals in Finland (Akateemisten Toimihenkilöiden Keskusjärjestö,AKAVA), the Central Organisation of Finnish Trade Unions (Suomen Ammattiliittojen Keskusjärjestö, SAK), the Finnish Confederation of Salaried Employees (Toimihenkilökeskusjärjestö, STTK), the Employers' Confederation of Service Industries (Palvelutyönantajat, PT), the Confederation of Finnish Industry and Employers (Teollisuuden ja Työnantajain Keskusliitto, TT), the Commission for Local Authority Employers (Kunnallinen Työmarkkinalaitos, KT), the State Employer's Office (Valtion Työmarkkinalaitos, VTML) and the Church Negotiation Commission ( Kirkon Sopimusvaltuuskunta, KiSV).

The working group has concluded that those elements in collective agreements which cater to company functional needs and individual employee needs at the same time should be studied. Obstacles that are caused by negative attitudes, prejudices, indifference and ignorance of procedures should be removed. According to the joint statement made by all the working group members, the model of local bargaining that exists in many collective agreements sustains the development of new working time solutions in companies and other organisations (FI9803153F). This possibility should be promoted by joint means in every sector in the future. The report makes no statement on the issue of cutting working hours.

Matti Kopperi, assistant department head at SAK, believes that the working time debate will acquire new dimensions as a result of the report: "The working time debate has been focused on local agreements and models for the division of labour. Now the debate is moving towards a general shortening of working time."

STTK is aiming to cut the working week to 35 hours (FI9805162N). In a statement on the report, its chief negotiating representative, Tapio Wallin, criticises the report as being too employer-driven: "In the report it is stated that the most important thing is to adapt to changes in demand and customer-driven activity. Differentiation according to market needs is not called into question. It is more an issue of approach. For instance, some EU countries have chosen differently."

The general secretary of AKAVA, Risto Piekka, stated that the report cannot be taken as a basis for negotiations for any of the parties (quoted in the Demari newspaper on 18 June).

According to the PT chief negotiating representative, Rauno Lindahl, formal and inflexible working arrangements are not applicable to the needs of the services sector, because it is the customers who decide when services should be produced. As differentiation in the service sector is increased, solutions at company and individual level will play a key role.

The TT's director of collective bargaining, Seppo Riski, considers that the age of general working time has passed. According to him, working time is becoming differentiated not only according to the line of business but also for different workers (quoted in Demari on 18 June).

The social partners are clearly still far from having joint goals, which means that a general reduction of working time is unlikely to come about through bargaining.