PAM’s Council gathered in Helsinki: “Working towards the same goal will be decisive in the coming negotiations”

The Service Union United PAM’s council will gather in Helsinki on 19–20 November. At the meeting, the most important goals for the coming year and the upcoming collective bargaining round are discussed.

In their opening remarks, PAM’s president Annika Rönni-Sällinen and Council chairperson Sami Viitasaari emphasized the importance of cooperation and unity.

Cooperation and working together for the same goal are not just words – they are the key to us getting what is fair and necessary for workers in the service industry.

Viitasaari stressed that PAM’s common direction and strategy for the next year will be determined at the meeting.

− Cooperation and working together for the same goal are not just words − they are the key to us getting what is fair and necessary for employees in the service industry.

Viitasaari described the upcoming collective bargaining as a unique challenge.

− One of the biggest future challenges that affects us all is the upcoming collective bargaining. It is not just a negotiation among all the other negotiations, it is the moment when our collective will and strength will be tried.

− We must together ensure that working conditions and wages in the service sector remain fair and develop for the better, said Viitasaari.

We want to close the purchasing power gap that has developed in recent years. A mixed-level increase is not only an act of equality, but also necessary in these circumstances.

Rönni-Sällinen spoke about the salary target for the upcoming collective bargaining round. PAM is aiming for two-year agreements with a salary increase of 6 percent or at least 150 euros for the first year in full-time work, and 4 percent or at least 100 euros for the second year.

According to Rönni-Sällinen, the goal is not only to secure purchasing power, but also to narrow wage gaps and respond to the government’s social security cuts.

− We want to close the purchasing power gap that has developed in recent years. Inflation and government cuts have hit low-income earners particularly hard. A mixed-level increase is not only an act of equality, but also necessary in these circumstances, she emphasized.

Employer coordination has always been commonplace. Why has corresponding cooperation on the workers’ side now caused such great controversy?

PAM will continue to cooperate closely with the SAK affiliated unions. The common goal is to strengthen the position of employees in a situation where the employer side is trying to weaken the basic structures of the organized labour market model. The employer side has criticized the coordination.

− Employer coordination has always been commonplace. Why has corresponding cooperation on the workers’ side now caused such great controversy? commented Rönni-Sällinen.

PAM is committed to improving the well-being of employees. Rönni-Sällinen emphasized the specific challenges of night work and shift work and the need for shorter working hours in stressful tasks. She also noted that the role of technology and algorithmic management is growing, which requires new contractual and legislative solutions.

− Algorithms may mean increasingly unstable working hours, but at the same time they offer the opportunity for increased productivity, the fruits of which must also be shared by employees.

In the upcoming negotiations, we will face a situation where the legislative obstacles created by the government are greater than before. Despite this, PAM is ready to defend the interests of its members.

Both Rönni-Sällinen and Viitasaari criticized the government’s policy. Cuts to social security and housing benefits, as well as plans to expand local agreements, threaten the position of workers. Planned changes to the right to strike, among other things, will weaken workers’ opportunities to defend their rights.

− In the upcoming negotiations, we will face a situation where the legislative obstacles created by the government are greater than before. Despite this, PAM is ready to defend the interests of its members, Rönni-Sällinen promised.

We can influence, and we will influence.

Viitasaari and Rönni-Sällinen both highlighted that PAM’s strength lies in cooperation and the activity of its members.

− We can influence, and we will influence, Viitasaari summarized in his speech.

The PAM Council consists of a chairman, two vice-chairmen, 60 members and 10 general deputies. Each full member of the Council has two personal deputies. The members have been selected according to regions, professional groups and the structure of the membership.

The autumn Council meeting continues with discussions and policies that will determine the priorities of PAM’s work for the coming year.

Read Annika Rönni-Sällinens entire speech in Finnish here

Text and photos: Minttu Sallinen

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