Unions fight over IT sector employees

Finland’s association of IT sector employees is leaving the Federation of Special Service and Clerical Employees (ERTO) to join the Union of Professional Engineers in Finland (UIL), with the aim of strengthening its bargaining power. This has sparked a dispute between unions, as ERTO is set to lose a third of its members. ERTO says the IT association has acted arbitrarily, but Jouko Malinen, Chair of the association, said that the transfer had been contemplated for some time.

IT sector employees are leaving ERTO

The association of information technology (IT) sector employees in the Federation of Special Service and Clerical Employees (ERTO), affiliated to the Finnish Confederation of Salaried Employees (STTK), has decided to leave ERTO and join the Union of Professional Engineers in Finland (UIL), which is affiliated to the Confederation of Unions for Professional and Managerial Staff in Finland (AKAVA).

The IT association hopes to strengthen its members’ bargaining power. Jouko Malinen, Chair of the association, said that the transfer had been contemplated for some time. Accession negotiations were held throughout the spring, with the association’s board unanimously deciding in August to move to UIL. The board of UIL has already approved the accession.

UIL Chair Pertti Porokari hailed the move as remarkable and historic, and confirmed that the transfer would improve the lobbying power of union members in the IT sector. He said:

The accession strengthens remarkably the organisation in the IT sector and therefore improves promotion of the interests of employees in the IT service sector.

The transfer will swell the membership of UIL from 62,000 to 70,000. Its members work in skilled and management posts in industry, engineering and consulting engineering offices, and in the services and public sector.

ERTO moves to keep members

The move has angered ERTO Chair Juri Aaltonen, who says the leadership of the IT association has acted arbitrarily in trying to force members to join the AKAVA-affiliated UIL.

The move will mean ERTO losing about a third of its membership and it has tried to persuade IT employees to remain in ERTO, posting detailed instructions on its website for members who want to stay. This has led to friction between ERTO and the IT association.

The unions are already fighting over who will negotiate a new collective agreement for IT employees with the employer organisation, the Federation of Finnish Technology Industries (Teknologiateollisuus). Jouko Malinen and Pertti Porokari say UIL is the obvious choice, but Juri Aaltonen insists that ERTO still has members in the IT sector and therefore should also have a seat at the negotiation table. Representatives of the employers’ side have not stated a preference.

Commentary

Union density amongst IT sector employees has traditionally been lower than in other sectors. However, uncertain economic times have led to a rise in union membership as employees in the sector feel the need to have their interests protected. This trend also occurred in early 2000.

Pertti Jokivuori, University of Jyväskylä