New president of SAK elected

The Central Organisation of Finnish Trade Unions (SAK) has appointed the Director of its collective bargaining department, Lauri Lyly, as the organisation’s new President. The outgoing president, Lauri Ihalainen, was SAK’s longest-serving president, having led the organisation since 1990. Mr Lyly will initially be appointed for two years or until the SAK Congress in June 2011. He has already called for greater consensus among the national trade union organisations.

The General Council of the Central Organisation of Finnish Trade Unions (Suomen Ammattiliittojen Keskusjärjestö, SAK) has elected the Director of its collective bargaining department, Lauri Lyly, to serve as its new President. Outgoing President, Lauri Ihalainen, had led SAK since 1990 and was the confederation’s longest-serving president. In his speech to SAK’s General Council in November 2008, Mr Ihalainen announced his intention to retire in May 2009 (FI0902039I).

Outcome of vote

In an internal vote among the majority Social Democrat caucus on the SAK General Council, Mr Lyly defeated the Secretary of the Finnish Paper Workers’ Union (Paperiliitto), [Petri Vanhala](http://www.hs.fi/haku/?haku=Petri Vanhala), by 49 votes to 31. The final decision on the new president was taken at the full session of the General Council, when the organisation’s Executive Board put forward the selection of Lauri Lyly, which was adopted unanimously. Mr Lyly will initially be appointed for two years or until the SAK Congress to be held in June 2011. Thereafter, it is likely that he will be elected for a further five-year term.

Level of experience decisive factor

After the result of the vote was announced, Mr Lyly acknowledged that it was most likely his level of experience that had governed in his favour. He added that the competition for the presidency had not left frictions in the organisation and that SAK would move forward in unity.

Closely beaten to the president’s chair, Mr Vanhala stated that he had expected an even closer contest. He agreed that the extent of experience counted more than a desire for change on the part of the voters. The runner-up added that the trade union would now put its full support behind the new president.

Common ground for central union organisations

In his acceptance address, Mr Lyly suggested a ‘division of labour agreement’ for labour market organisations, which would allow for more consensus on major labour contract issues. He emphasised that this would free trade unions from having to go back and forth on terms and conditions of labour agreements.

Mr Lyly called for roundtable discussions among central trade union organisations before the autumn of 2009 to agree on outstanding labour market issues, such as job security, business safeguards and policies on workers’ purchasing power.

New president’s extensive career in trade union movement

Mr Lyly has broad experience of collective bargaining work in the trade union movement, from individual workplace level to the role of a trade union leader. After serving in the 1980s as chief shop steward at the nuclear power plant in Loviisa on the southern coast of Finland, he took up a position as Bargaining Secretary with the Finnish Electrical Workers’ Union (Sähköalojen ammattiliitto, Sähköliitto) in 1989, and in 1997 he became President of this notable SAK-affiliated trade union.

Furthermore, Mr Lyly’s career in SAK began in 2004 when he was appointed Director of the organisation’s collective bargaining department. Over the last two years, he has also served as special investigator and project manager for the industrial sector trade union project to establish the Union for Professionals in Technology (Teknologian ammattilaisten unioni, TEAM) (FI0812019I, FI0704049I). The new SAK President is 56 years old and married with two children.

Pertti Jokivuori, Statistics Finland