Citizens' initiative to stop activation model voted down in Parliament

Debate in the Finnish Parliament on the citizens' initiative to stop the so-called activation model took a peculiar turn. At the beginning of the debate on the initiative signed by 140,944 citizens not a single MP from the Government parties turned up.
22.02.2019 09:11
SAK
SAK and its affiliated trade unions organised a mass demonstration against the activation model in Helsinki on 2 February, 2018. Photo: Patrik Lindström / SAK

Debate in the Finnish Parliament on the citizens' initiative to stop the so-called activation model took a peculiar turn. At the beginning of the debate on the initiative signed by 140,944 citizens not a single MP from the Government parties turned up.

The activation model is legislation that cuts unemployment benefits should an unemployed job-seeker not meet certain criteria like finding a temporary job, having entrepreneurial income or participating in training. The legislation is widely viewed as unfair, as it is often not possible to meet the criteria in spite of actively trying to do so.

The Central Organisation of Finnish Trade Unions –SAK carried out a survey last year and found that more than half of those receiving unemployment benefit from the SAK unions' funds have seen their benefits cut.

The citizens’ initiative is a system that enables a minimum of 50,000 Finnish citizens of voting age to submit an initiative to Parliament to enact a piece of legislation. The current one in Parliament is now the second most popular ever.

On February 20 the Parliament rejected the initiative with 77 votes in favour of the initiative and 96 in favour of keeping the activation model as it is now.

Read the whole article on Trade Union News from Finland.

Heikki Jokinen / Freelancer