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Together for a better Europe!

A good and fair working life within Europe is also in the interest of Finnish workers. The voice of those working in the service sector must be heard in the EU. Have a say in your life and cast a vote in the elections.

Advance voting in Finland from 29 May to 4 June 2024. The actual election day is on 9 June 2024.

Issues important for PAM in EU elections
Euroopan parlamentti ja EU-lippu
Home » News & Events » EU elections 2024

In the EU elections, you can have a say in the decisions that affect your life  

Those working in the service sector should be able to feel safe and protected in their everyday life both now and in the future. Many things that are a challenge to our security are common for the whole Europe and even globally. Finland is part of the European Union. The working life and the problems employees are facing in Finland and other EU member states are largely similar.

The EU makes binding regulation concerning the entire European Union – something that Finland cannot do alone. With that, it is possible to have a better working life and at the same time level out the playing field between companies. It is in everyone’s interest.

It is important to influence the type of regulation that comes from the EU.

Citizens of EU member states have the right to vote in EU elections.

If you are a citizen of another EU member state living permanently in Finland, you may register to vote in the European elections in Finland. To be included in the voter registry in Finland, you must register no later than 80 days before election day (21 March 2024).

More on the right to vote at vaalit.fi

Find out what issues PAM is promoting in the European Parliament elections in the upcoming period 2024–2029.  

These goals are important because we want to improve working conditions and make sure that everyone is treated fairly.

We want to improve the working life and make it safer for everyone. We want rules that help people in their work and help us manage new technologies.

Rules are needed

• so that the employee has the right to be disconnected outside of working hours

• so that algorithms and AI are used in work in a way that is fair for the employees

• so that mental health and well-being at work can be protected better than today

• so that the employee has fair working conditions even in the platform economy

We want to ensure that labour laws and contracts are followed in public procurement. This helps to ensure that all employees are treated fairly.

It is necessary

  • to have a special condition in public procurements that requires compliance with labour laws and collective agreements.  

We are committed to working for a carbon-neutral society. But while doing this, we need to make sure that the needs and rights of employees are protected, and therefore employee consultation must be increased at all levels of decision-making. The green transition must be fair for everyone.

Rules are needed

  • so that employee and employer organizations are consulted more often on climate and environmental issues at the EU level. 

We want to ensure that companies respect human rights in their entire chain of operations. This helps to prevent, for example, the use of child labor and other abuses.   

  • Human rights must be better implemented throughout the company’s value chain. 

We want to strengthen the European Works Councils (EWC) so that the voice of employees is better heard in the decision-making of companies operating in several European countries. 

Those with high income make sure that they are duly represented – people on low incomes have to stand up for themselves by voting

People with high income and high qualifications are the most enthusiastic voters in the European Parliament elections.

The previous EU elections were held five years ago in 2019. Back then, only 29.5 percent of service and sales employees voted, while 62.4 percent of special experts went to the ballots. Of the lowest-earning 10 percent in Finland, only 29.5 percent voted, while 60 percent of the highest-earning wage-earners voted. In total, the voter turnout was 40.8 percent.

Older people are more inclined to vote than young people, and the same applies to those in a relationship as opposed to those who are single.

It is obvious that those elected as decision-makers in the EU promote issues that are important to their voters. Therefore, it is important that low-income earners and those working in service professions are also represented in the European Parliament.

How are we going to do that? We can do it by voting for a candidate who promotes issues that are important to you.

What are political parties views on workers issues?

SAK has surveyed the attitude of political parties to issues at EU level that are crucial to employees.

Responses came from the National Coalition Party, the Social Democratic Party, the Centre Party, the Green League, the Left Alliance, the Swedish People’s Party and the Christian Democrats. The Finns Party and Movement Now did not respond to a request to complete the survey questionnaire.

Read the parties’ justifications for their responses in Finnish at www.sak.fi/eurovaalit

What is the EU Parliament?

EU legislation is established through the cooperation of the European Parliament, the European Council, and the European Commission.

The citizens of the EU elect the members of the European Parliament by voting in the elections. You can vote on who you would like to represent Finland and what kind of issues should be promoted.

Member states get representatives in the parliament based on their population. Finland has 15 members out of 720 members of the parliament. Members work in the parliament as members of a political group, but can collaborate across groups, for example in matters concerning their home country.

Read more about decision-making in the EU

EU-päätöksenteko, lippu, kartta

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