A fair solution
Julkaistu
Kategoriat
The new agreement for senior salaried employees in technology industry shall guarantee similar wage increases as other staff groups.
Metalworkers’ Union and the Union Pro got their agreement with the strike and the YTN strike was just as efficient.
It is very significant achievement that the cost effect of 4,3 % set in the comprehensive income policy agreement will be given as a general increase unless a local agreement is reached. Without the strike, the general increase would have been 2,9%.
The first increase shall be paid retroactively from 1.10. The first increase is a general increase of 1,6 % and a local portion of 0,8%. If no agreement is reached on how to divide the local portion, it will be given as a general increase.
The next increase will be paid from 1.11.2012 as a general increase of 1,3% and a local portion of 0,6%. Next year’s local portion shall also be given as a general increase if no agreement is reached.
In addition a lump sum of 150 euros shall be paid in the beginning of January 2012.
Agreement within the frame
YTN did not wish to endanger the comprehensive income policy agreement in this insecure financial situation.
The bacgroud group of YTN, consisting of shop stewards in technology industry, and the board of YTN were unanimous: the solution was acceptable even though compensation for travelling outside of working hours wasn’t included the agreement. The cost effect of the compensation wouldn’t have fit within the frame.
Even though approximately half of employees do get some sort of compensation for travelling outside of working hours the issue is not settled in several companies. According to the collective agreement (chapter 6) the issue of compensation for travelling outside of working hours should be negotiated locally.
Few qualitative improvements
There are few qualitative improvements also in the new collective agreement.
The top limit of flexitime is now 120 hours. It will be possible to take full days off from now on.
Top limit of the flexitime is very important from the health and safety point of view says the chief negotiator Ismo Kokko. Until now there has been no top limit and the balance can have grown without limit.
– The flexitime system has been misused quite a lot. Very often it is actually overtime work of which an additional compensation should be paid. We hope that the top limit shall make the difference clearer, Kokko points out.
A paternity leave of 6 days was added to the agreement. It is binding and not to be negotiated locally.
Also a clause of educational leave for everybody is a new addition to the agreement.
Status of shop steward shall improve. Information rights shall get better, and six months protection from dismissal was added in situations of transfer of undertakings. It also became forbidden to move the shop steward to different tasks with smaller wages.
The shop stewards’ compensation shall rise 5 % and the compensation of health and safety representative shall rise 15%. The health and safety representative shall get protection for dismissal and lay-offs.
The comprehensive income policy agreement changed the situation
The comprehensive income policy agreement changed the situation in all sectors. After that all negotiations have pursued to stay within the agreed cost effect.
– When the comprehensive income policy was agreed the situation in the negotiations changed totally. We stayed within the frame, and got everything agreed in the frame, but only by striking. The employers were apparently confident that the strike of senior salaried employees shall not succeed. In the future our position in the negotiations shall surely be much better. Now the employers know that we will defend our rights, says Kokko.
Kokko wishes to thank all members and shop stewards that were under fire last week. Good and altruistic effort was made for the common cause.
If the comprehensive income policy agreement shall be implemented, the government has promised tax reductions and some other improvements like a paternity leave of two weeks and educational free of three days to be handled in a working group. It was also promised deteriorations to the job alteration free would be cancelled.