The cornerstone of unity

18 UNIONISATION
The Finnish trade union movement began in the second half of the 19th century. Machinists, printing workers, 
and ship officers founded the first trade unions, but at first only one in ten workers were union members. Later, 
union membership (union density) rose dramatically.
It rose especially quickly after 1968, when union membership fees began to be collected directly from 
wages and these became tax deductible as part of the first national income policy agreement (based on 
tripartite negotiations between trade unions, employers, and the government). At its highest, union density 
among all employees was over 80%, in 1993.
The Finnish trade union movement is considered one of the most influential ones in democratic Western 
countries. It achieved this status due to high union density but especially by being a reliable negotiation partner 
and by having created prosperity throughout Finnish society, not only for its members.

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Collective bargaining also plays an important role in the European Union. Working life has been improved in 
the entire EU through tripartite cooperation and negotiations. The trade union movement has been a strong 
supporter of European integration and has tried to reduce the economic and social differences between 
countries.
Globalisation as well as the fragmented nature of working life (fixed-term, part-time, and temporary work as 
well as zero-hour contracts), new ways of working, and digitisation have created new challenges for the trade 
union movement.
On the other hand, working life has always been changing in the past too. The fragmented nature of working 
life seems to be a growing trend, however, though most people still have full-time and permanent jobs. 
Young people enter the workforce later nowadays because many first only get various temporary and odd 
jobs. Regular employment has generally had a positive influence on union membership.
The situation is contradictory because those in the weakest labour market position should be the first to look 
for protection by joining a union. Ma
ny don’t even apply for membership because they see it as a disadvantage. 
In fact, high union density is the strongest protection of Finnish wage earners 
– including those working part time, 
on a fixed-term contract, or through a temporary work agency. 
The decrease in size of workplaces is part of this fragmentation. Most people work in teams with less than ten 
members. Such workplaces rarely have a functioning union structure. Some don’t even have a union 
representative (shop steward), so no one is in charge of recruiting union members.
In the past, union membership was almost taken for granted. Now, “how would that help me?” or “I can 
manage on my own” can be heard. The most common reason reason for not being in a union is lack of 
information 
– no one has ever come to talk about it. Therefore the trade union movement has to go out and 
spread its message once again and visit even small workplaces. Simultaneously, it can show how to found a 
union sub-branch or branch or elect a union representative.
The trade union movement began when temporary workers and tradesmen started to strive for a better life. 
History can provide models for promoting the unionization of today’s young people.
Lauri Lyly, former president of the Finnish Electrical Workers’ Union
and of the Central Organisation of Finnish Trade Unions