Ministry launches review on the current state and promotion of local collective bargaining

In the autumn 2020 budget session, the Government decided to commission a report on measures to strengthen the trust and negotiating competence required for local collective bargaining within both generally binding collective agreements and normally binding collective agreements. On 14 October 2020, Minister of Employment Tuula Haatainen appointed Master of Laws Jukka Ahtela and Cooperation Ombudsman Joel Salminen as rapporteurs.

The rapporteurs will identify practical reasons that prevent or restrict local collective bargaining. The report will focus on both organised and unorganised companies. The report will include tools to remove barriers to local bargaining or to lower the threshold for it at workplace level.

The rapporteurs’ task is to determine what measures can be taken to

• improve the conditions for local collective bargaining
• strengthen the trust and negotiating competence required for local collective bargaining both within generally binding and normally binding collective agreements
• improve the negotiating parties’ capacity to agree at workplace level by making use of existing agreement options
• establish equal negotiating relationships at local level
• support development and innovation activities at workplace.

Social partners and companies of different sizes to be consulted

The report will draw attention on to how improving the working capacity and skills of personnel will affect the negotiating conditions for local collective bargaining.

In addition, the report will explore the role of local union representatives, trade unions and employers’ federations in local collective bargaining based on collective agreements, as well as the possibility of providing support for activities at workplace level. The report will take into account the special features of local collective bargaining in companies that have not elected a local union representative.

In order to evaluate the best practical experiences, the rapporteurs will consult the national and local social partners and representatives of companies of different sizes.

Report to be completed in January

The Government Programme includes the objective of increasing local collective bargaining based on mutual trust between the parties. Local collective bargaining will be developed by providing personnel with adequate information and opportunities to influence. According to the Government Programme, local collective bargaining will be advanced through the system of collective agreements. The aim is to achieve a balanced combination of flexibility and security and to improve employment and competitiveness.

The rapporteurs Ahtela and Salminen will complete the report by 8 January 2021. The sub-group on local collective bargaining working under the Ministerial Working Group on Promotion of Employment will make use of the report when preparing proposals to improve the conditions for local collective bargaining and to establish equal negotiating relationships. The proposals will be submitted to the Ministerial Working Group by 1 March 2021.

Inquiries:
Ville Kopra, State Secretary, tel. +358 295 047 184
Tarja Kröger, Senior Ministerial Adviser, tel. +358 295 048 937