Commerce
Commerce
Commerce employs approximately 300,000 persons in Finland.
The representation of interests of Akava union members working in the industry is managed through us, the Federation of Professional and Managerial Staff YTN. YTN does not have its own collective agreement in the commerce sector.
Who is a senior salaried employee in commerce?
Senior salaried employees work in responsible expert assignments, as middle managers as well as in jobs assisting the business management. The work is characterised by independence, responsibility and preparedness provided by expertise as well as higher education.
Approximately 17,000 senior salaried employees work in commerce and they are organised in YTN’s member unions. The largest member groups in Commerce are Masters of Economic Sciences, Bachelors of Business Administration, engineers, Masters of Science in Technology and lawyers. The most common professional titles are, for example, sales, purchase, marketing, HR, finance or customer service managers, purchaser, regional director, maintenance or sales engineer.
Where do the senior salaried employees in Commerce work?
The largest groups are Kesko and SOK. In addition, senior salaried employees work in the undertakings of technical wholesale trade, retail and grocery stores, import companies and special stores.
Lobbying of senior salaried employees in the commerce industry
The collective labour agreement in the commerce industry is concluded between the Finnish Commerce Federation and SAK’s Palvelualojen ammattiliitto (PAM) (Service Union United PAM), and it applies to “employees fully capable of working under the Finnish Working Hours Act”.
The collective labour agreement of the commerce industry is declared generally applicable by yleissitovuuden vahvistamislautakunta (the Committee Affirming the General Applicability of Collective Agreements). The scope of the collective labour agreement covers the employees and salaried employees. Senior salaried employees do not have their own collective labour agreement.
Senior salaried employees are recognised in the industry as their own personnel group. At the workplace level, they are represented by shop stewards through separate company-specific agreements or employee representatives elected according to law. In the largest workplaces, the senior salaried employees have their own staff associations.
Background group
There is an active background group in the branch, consisting of shop stewards/employee representatives in the commerce branch and YTN experts. The background group reviews current topics in the branch and plans lobbying in the branch and training for members.