SAK and STTK propose hours cuts as part of next government's programme

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Finland's SAK and STTK trade union confederations have been moving closer on the issue of working time. Both stated in August 1998 that a cut in the working week should be part of the next government's programme.

The Central Organisation of Trade Unions (Suomen Ammattiliittojen Keskusjärjestö, SAK) and the Confederation of Salaried Employees (Toimihenkilökeskusjärjestö, STTK) are moving closer on the issue of working time (FI9805162N), with SAK appearing to have changed its standpoint. Both organisations are anticipating the upcoming election of a new government - due in 1999 - by proposing a general cut in the total number of weekly working hours to 35.

According to STTK chair,Esa Swanljung, the political decision-makers should promote welfare improvements, and a shorter working week would, in his view, represent such an improvement. Mr Swanljung is urging politicians to put pressure on the various social partners in order to speed up the realisation of a 35-hour week in Finland. "A major means for accomplishing this would be through government negotiations," he says. Mr Swanljung believes that the shortening of weekly hours would have a significantly favourable effect on the employment rate. He does not agree with the claim that employees would have to do the same work in a shorter working week. In those branches where automation is replacing the work of employees and there is no need for extra staff, the shortening of the working week could prevent redundancies. In his view, the 35-hour week could slow down the redundancy rate of personnel in banks, for instance. The work must be done anyway, and bank clients would not tolerate any further decline in the speed of services at branch offices.

Employers have feared that a shorter working week would weaken the competitiveness of companies, since labour costs would increase. According to the STTK chair, it would result in improved productivity, as the employee would not get so tired as is the case during longer working hours. "The shortening of working time will not cause a faster rise in unit costs than in other competitor countries. If there is no commensurate shortening of running and operating time, competitiveness would not be threatened by increased capital costs," he argues. The lessening of fatigue among employees would decrease sick leave time and lengthen the total years of employment. (Quoted in the Demari newspaper, 20 August 1998).

The SAK chair, Lauri Ihalainen, has proposed in a press interview that a broad working time policy programme should be part of the next government's programme. He sets as a goal a 35-hour week, and even a 30-hour week in the long term. In his view, a solution could be reached on a fixed-term basis, and it could be amended if a labour shortage arises. "We should proceed with the gradual shortening of average working time. There is no reason why we should be left behind by other countries among our central [western] European competitors, even if radically differing solutions are not possible either," he states. "The next government's programme should include a political guideline for working hours." This issue is so important that it will also be one of the questions for the next central incomes policy agreement. (Quoted in the Taloussanomat newspaper 21 August 1998).