A brief history of SAK
The SAK trade union movement emerged as part of the early 20th century international workers’ movement, as employees joined forces to improve their status at work and in society as a whole.
The predecessor of SAK was the Finnish Trade Union Federation SAJ, established in Tampere on 15–17 April 1907. This organisation evolved indirectly into the Finnish Federation of Trade Unions (SAK) in 1930, and eventually into the modern Central Organisation of Finnish Trade Unions (SAK) in 1969. SAK is Finland’s oldest and largest employee confederation.
The role of trade unions varies from one country to another. They are strongly established in Finland, where trade unions have become advocacy organisations with social responsibilities. The employers formally recognised the trade union movement as a party to collective bargaining under the 1940 January Engagement. The trade union movement has played a significant role as a negotiator of working conditions and as a social stakeholder since that time.
One key function of SAK from 1968 onwards was to negotiate comprehensive national incomes policy agreements with other confederations of employees and employers. These agreements are broad settlements of labour market issues that concern not only wages, but also matters of taxation and social policy. The last such comprehensive agreement was the 2016 Competitiveness Pact.
Conditions of employment have subsequently been agreed through sectoral collective bargaining between trade unions and employers’ federations. SAK supports collective bargaining by trade unions, and also lobbies to enhance the status of employees in Finland, the European Union and internationally. SAK specialists are involved in various negotiations, and in the preparation of legislation, providing an employee perspective on these processes.
The achievements of SAK and the trade union movement include many rights that are nowadays taken for granted, such as the five-day working week, various work-related days off, occupational health care, and unemployment benefit.
The need to defend the rights and security of employees is nevertheless undiminished. Current work conducted by SAK focuses on such aspects as ensuring that people retain the mental and physical capacity to cope more effectively at work.