TT and STTK disagree sharply on working time

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Working time is probably the most burning labour market issue in Finland during summer 1998. A survey indicates that members of the STTK trade union confederation would be prepared to reduce their working time for the sake of promoting employment, even if this meant a diminished pay level, while the TT employers' organisation rejects the idea of any general cut in working time.

According to the results of a survey conducted among the readership of the bulletin published by the Finnish Confederation of Salaried Employees (Toimihenkilökeskusjärjestö, STTK), published in summer 1998, there is support for a general cut in working time. STTK members were asked "Would you be prepared to cut your working time in order to promote employment, even if your pay would diminish by a corresponding amount," and 55% of the respondents responded that they were prepared for this,

The survey adds fuel to STTK's campaign for hours reductions (FI9805162N). According to STTK unit director, Matti Hynynen, it is possible to take concrete measures in order to cut working time as early as autumn 1998. STTK states that Finland should prepare a model for cutting working time by the end of the present central incomes policy agreement period in January 2000. As one model for the next incomes policy round, the confederation has considered relinquishing pay increase demands in favour of hours cuts.

The director of collective bargaining at the Confederation of Finnish Industry and Employers (Teollisuuden ja Työnantajain Keskusliitto, TT), Seppo Riski, considers the talk of cuts as unrealistic. According to him (quoted in a press release on 1 July 1998), it would be much wiser to organise working time in more diverse and effective ways: "In this way, the employment situation could be improved as well. The needs of companies and the needs of the personnel vary. The same person may have the need to work sometimes longer and sometimes shorter days."

According to Mr Riski, the success of an enterprise would be increased by such a working time solution, which would benefit the personnel, too: "In many collective agreements there is a model for local agreements which supports development of various working time solutions in companies and in other working communities [FI9803153F]. These opportunities should be promoted in all branches." Mr Riski wonders if the duration of working time really is the central problem in working life: "Would not the more correct focus be to discuss how annual working time could be used flexibly enough and well, so that it would meet the needs of personnel and companies?".

According to the STTK secretary general, Seppo Junttila, the current working time debate is being conducted only from the starting-point of industry. In his view, services are a more central sector in terms of worksharing through decreased working time - "industry representatives cannot decide alone on the development of working time in Finland." Mr Junttila considers that Finland has sufficient resources to share work by cutting working time. The increase in GNP cannot diminish unemployment enough, given the ongoing increase in productivity and technological changes. "The statistics show the reason why the industrial gatekeepers are firmly against cuts in working time. The reason is purely money, and channelling of the results of the work into their own pocket," says Mr Junttila (quoted in the Demari newspaper, 16 July 1998).