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Progress of the government action plan to combat racism The government action plan to combat racism and promote equality implements the policies set out in the equality statement issued by the Government. The selected measures are based on an asse...

19.12.2024 | On 19 December 2024, the President of the Republic approved legislative amendments that will enable more local collective bargaining in companies. The amendments will enter into force on 1 January 2025.

2.6.2025 | The Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment is organising a consultation round from 2 June to 28 July 2025 on legislative amendments to the grounds for fixed-term employment contracts, the duration of the notice period for layoffs and the re-employment obligation of employers. The proposed amendments have been prepared in a tripartite working group that was not unanimous in its work.

28.6.2024 | The Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment submitted a draft government proposal on increasing the opportunities for local collective bargaining to the Finnish Council of Regulatory Impact Analysis on 28 June 2024.

1.3.2024 | The Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment is circulating the draft legislation on promoting local bargaining for comments between 1 March and 12 April 2024. The proposals for the legislative amendments have been prepared by a tripartite working group, which was unable to produce a unanimous report.

22.2.2022 | The ‘Gender impacts of collective agreements from the perspective of equal pay’ project, which is funded by the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health, examines collective agreements from the perspective of gender equality. The research focuses particularly on the impact that collective agreements have on the achievement of equal pay.

29.11.2024 | The tripartite working group tasked with examining the implementation of the EU Directive on Minimum Wages in Finland has completed its work. According to the group, implementation of the Directive does not require national legislative measures. The current legislation meets the requirements of the Directive, and the conclusion of collective agreements is supported through official measures. In Finland, minimum wages are based exclusively on the collective agreement system.

9.9.2024 | The Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment has appointed two new tripartite working groups to draw up the Government's labour market reforms. One of the working groups will focus on those grounds for terminating employment that are related to the employee's person. The other will handle the grounds for fixed-term employment contracts, the period of notice for layoffs, and the reemployment obligation.

5.9.2024 | Because of the reform, local collective bargaining would be possible regardless of whether the company belongs to an employers' association or what kind of employee representation the company has.

The amended programme document Interreg AURORA 2021-2027 VERSION 3.0 After reallocation of Interreg NEXT Kolarctic and Interreg NEXT Karelia 1 CCI 2021TC16RFCB027 Title (Interreg VI-A) Sweden-Finland-Norway (AURORA) Version 3.0 First year 2021 Las...

8.11.2023 | Minister of Employment Arto Satonen convened a seminar on the development of the Finnish labour market model on 8 November 2023, which was attended by representatives from all employer and employee organisations negotiating collective agreements in Finland.

20.12.2024 | The start of 2025 will see the entry into force of new acts and decrees. The most important changes in the administrative branch of the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment are summarised below.

21.11.2022 | The employment ministers of the Nordic Council of Ministers will meet in Oslo on Tuesday 22 November 2022. The Ministers will discuss an OECD research project that examines the effects of the coronavirus pandemic on the Nordic labour market. They will also debate the future challenges affecting work and the ways to strengthen the Nordic working life model.

15.2.2024 | The work of the tripartite working group preparing the reform of local collective bargaining is in final stages, and the outlines of the reform are clear. The consultation round on the working group’s report will begin in February.

16.12.2019 | A study published today as part of the Ministry’s publication series on the coverage of collective agreements between 2017 and 2018 indicates that two thirds of private sector employees in Finland work for employers belonging to employer organisations. Collective agreements cover 269,000 employees on the basis of general applicability. Altogether 89% of all employees are covered by collective agreements.

22.2.2024 | The Government is to submit a proposal for amendments to industrial peace legislation on 29 February 2024. The reform will enhance the sanctions system for unlawful strikes, limit disproportionate solidarity action and restrict the length of political industrial action.

3.9.2024 | The 2025 budget proposal of Prime Minister Orpo's Government bolsters conditions for economic growth. Economic growth driven by the private sector will also serve to secure the financing base for central government finances. The fast-acting measures to curb indebtedness that were decided on due to the difficult situation in central government finances will move forward.

7.3.2024 | On 7 March 2024, the Finnish Government submitted to Parliament a proposal concerning the implementation of the amendments made to the guidelines of the Maritime Labour Convention of the International Labour Organization in 2022. The proposal would adopt the amendments and bring them into force at the national level.

24.2.2021 | Minister of Labour Tuula Haatainen will launch a study on the mechanisms for resolving disputes that relate to the choice of collective agreements and to the functioning of the mediation system. The appointed rapporteurs are Minna Etu-Seppälä (Master of Laws, trained on the bench) and Simo Zitting (Master of Laws).

29.2.2024 | The Government proposes to increase fines for violating industrial peace, limit disproportionate solidarity action and restrict the length of political strikes. The reform would not restrict industrial action aimed at improving working conditions in one’s own sector.