Akava - Confederation of Unions for Professional and Managerial Staff in Finland General presentation
Working together for success and security
Akava is a trade union confederation for those with a university, professional or other high-level education.
Akava has 37 affiliate unions with a combined membership of nearly 610,000, of which some 110,000 are students.
Akava and its affiliates provide members with security in the form of, for example, collective agreements, a negotiation system, a network of shop stewards as well as legal and career services.
Akava, its affiliates and negotiation organisations work together to ensure the success and well-being of Akava members throughout their work career.
The President of Akava is Sture Fjäder.
A safety net for working life Akava serves as part of the safety net for working life by contributing to the preparation of relevant legislation, unemployment and social security policies, and the pension system.
A safety net for working life
• Professional members • Students
Affiliate unions
Akava serves as part of the safety net for working life by contributing to the preparation of relevant legislation, unemployment and social security policies, and the pension system.
Member
Akava • Matters relevant to one’s own union
• Matters of interest to all Akava members
Negotiation • Sectorspecific organisations matters
Agent of social influence in all its areas of activity Societal policies Economic and tax policies Matters related to working life Social and health policies Educational policies Employment policies Business policies Organisational and student activities
Influence is based on expertise and research.
Akava is influential on the national, regional and international levels both as a central organisation and through its member affiliates.
Objectives
Finland shall gain growth and vitality through employment.
Education and training shall always be lucrative.
Work careers shall be extended by improvements in well-being at work and by developments in working life, employee competence and equality, and by investments in labour force services.
The incentive to work shall be increased by reducing work-related taxation.
The public economy shall be balanced and reach a state of stability, and municipal residents shall be guaranteed good services through reforms engaging the personnel. Strong growth and employment shall make it possible to ensure sustainable public services.
Finland’s competitiveness is based on competence and expertise. The continuity of this competence shall be assured on all levels. The development of universities in terms of quality and structures shall be continued.
Organisation Union Council Working committee
Board
Business policy committee • Entrepreneurs’ and self-employed professionals’ division • Public sector division
Organisation committee
Akava’s student council
Executive committee
Education and labour force policies committee
Social and health policies committee Working life committee • Working life researchers
• Students’ working committee
Regional networks (15) Regional management
Values Advocacy for members
Open co-operation Active power player
Basic facts about Akava’s membership
Akava’s 37 affiliates have a total membership of 610,000 members, including more than 110,000 students.
Membership is degree-based, also in accordance with profession or work position.
Average age of labour force is 43 years One fourth of all Akava members are under 30 years of age. More than half are female. 44 per cent of the members have children under the age of 18.
85 per cent have a permanent, full-time job. Unemployment has increased. Young women are often working in fixed-term employment
positions.
The average total earnings of men is 4,850 euro, while for women, it is 3,690 euro. Akava members pay nearly half of the State’s income tax revenue.
Akava’s affiliates 1.6.2016 Academic Engineers and Architects in Finland
72 020
Social Science Professionals
Akava Special Branches
28 714
Society of Finnish Professional Foresters
2 459
Akava's General Group
757
The Finnish Association of Architects
2 391
The Finnish Association of Occupational Health Nurses
1 705
Association of Finnish Lawyers
16 298
12 245
Finnish Association of Academic Agronomists
5 897
The Finnish Business School Graduates
Finnish Association of Rehabilitation Professionals
6 299
The Finnish Union of Public Health Nurses
7 344
Finnish Dental Association
7 153
The Institute Officers Union of the Finnish Defence Forces and the Border Guard
3 923
Finnish Medical Association
25 516
The Officers Union
6 178
The Union of Church Professionals within Akava AKI
5 810
The Union of Diaconal Workers in Finland
1 803
Finnish Pharmacists' Association Finnish Police Federation
7 720 11 104
52 168
Finnish Psychological Association
7 027
Trade Union of Education in Finland
121 621
Finnish Union of Environmental Professionals
4 790
Union of Finnish Speech Therapists
1 550
Finnish Union of Experts in Science
7 897
Union of Finnish University Professors
2 462
Finnish Union of University Researchers and Teachers
7 056
Finnish Veterinary Association
2 650
Union of Professional Business Graduates in Finland TRAL Union of Professional Engineers in Finland
Health Science Academic Leaders and Experts
1 243
Union of Professional Social Workers
Kirkon Nuorisotyöntekijöiden Liitto KNT
1 155
Union of Swedish-speaking Engineers in Finland
3 226 8 928
Managers and Professionals YTY
10 264
Union of Technical Professionals KTK
Sales and Marketing Professionals MMA
26 795
Total
30 450 70 119 23 314
608 051
Examples of Akava members’ professions and degrees
Doctor Expert
Meteorologist Teacher
M.Sc. (Tech)
BBA
Officer Agronomist Speech therapist Physicist Translator MBA Occupational health nurse Librarian Social worker Fire chief Museum Curator toimintaterapeutti
Chemist
Kindergarten teacher
Lawyer
Psychologist Sales and marketing professional Nurse Researcher Architect Engineer Border and coast guard Pharmacist Veterinarian Environmental inspector
Technician
Dentist
Product manager manager Entrepreneur
Commercial pilot
Property
Microbiologist
Professor
Forester Housekeeping supervisor
Akava members’ employers 2016
2.6% 6.5 % State 6.5%
34.0 %
Municipality 34.0% Church 1.4% Private 55.0%
55.0 %
Entrepreneur 2.6%
1.4 %
Source: Affiliate reports 2016
Total membership of all trade union confederations in 2015 Total 2,146,000
27 %
47 %
SAK (1 008 000) STTK (550 000) Akava (589 000)
26 %
The total membership of the trade union confederations includes unemployed members, pensioners, students and non-paying members. Source: Cost distribution between SAK, STTK and Akava.
Growth for Finland through work - Akava’s key objectives for the Government term 2015–2019 Objectives Employment rate of 75% in 2015 Tax rate at the EU-15 level
Longer work careers provide the funds for a healthy welfare society
Profitable education Functioning incentives
Lucrative work Better foundations for entrepreneurism
Business subsidies that encourage renewal Longer careers through the development of working life
Solid foundations A balanced public economy Functioning social welfare, health care and municipal reforms
High competence level R&D investments 4%