Joint statement on EU-level cooperation

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Finland's TT employers' confederation and STTK white-collar trade union confederation issued a joint statement in March 1999 on the future of the labour market at EU level. The organisations stress the mutual development of the social partners and more concrete involvement in the social dialogue.

In a joint statement issued in March 1999, the Confederation of Finnish Industry and Employers (Teollisuuden ja Työnantajain Keskusliitto, TT) and the Confederation of Salaried Employees (Toimihenkilökeskusjärjestö, STTK) discussed the future of the labour market in the EU. According to these organisations, activity concerning labour market issues in the EU will in future be based more and more on cooperation. The confederations stress the need for the development of the social partners in this context, and state especially that the increased need to coordinate economic policy across the EU brings with it a growing necessity for more concrete involvement in the social dialogue.

TT and STTK also stress - in accordance with the principle of subsidiarity - the importance of decisions made at national level in Finland for ensuring a balanced economic policy which is based upon the preconditions of EMU. These include increased purchasing power, low inflation and improvement of the employment situation. The development of welfare, it is stated, depends on national unanimity and on functioning tripartite cooperation. The confederations consider it necessary that mutual discussion and information on the issues dealt with at EU level be increased.