Metalworkers' Union in brief
The Finnish Metalworkers' Union - Metalli was founded in 1899 and is the largest union of industrial workers in Finland.
The Finnish technology industry employed altogether 201 500 people in 2005. The Metalworkers' Union organises about 90 % of the blue collar workers working in the metal industry. The total union membership is some 158 000, of which 20 % are women.
All workers in a metal plant can belong to the Metalworkers' Union, including carpenters, painters and cleaners etc. The rules allow union membership also to white-collar workers unless they are in a supervisory position.
The Finnish Metalworkers' Union negotiates collective agreements for ten separate sectors: technology industry (e.g. engineering, shipbuilding, iron and steel industry, electronic industry, car manufacturing), car repair workshops, clerical employees of car retail, telecommunication industry, mining, electricity and power plants, precious metals sector, sheet metal industry, repair works for mechanical forest industry, civilian workers in the Ministry of Defence repair shops.
No big changes in the power balance
(29.2.2012)
The Congress election of the Metalworkers’ Union did not bring any big changes in the power balance between the political groups of the union. The electoral alliance for Co-operation increased its support by less than one percentage point and the alliance Metal’s Influencer lost a little over one percentage point.
The electoral alliance for Co-operation gained 61, 7 percent of the votes and 295 delegates, the Influencers’ alliance gained 36, 6 percent of the votes and 165 delegates.
Among the other candidate groups the True Finns got one delegate with their 0, 2 percent share of the votes. The electoral alliance of the Centre Party and independent candidates got one candidate with a 0, 5 percent support and the alliance Metal’s Members’ Voice two candidates with a 0, 7 percent share of the votes. Candidates outside electoral alliances had in total 0, 3 percent of the votes and were not elected.
The President of the Metalworkers’ Union, Mr. Riku Aalto, says that the result of the election was fairly expected.
— The situation is reasonably stable in the light of the election result. The fact that the electoral alliance for Co-operation which consists of social democrats and independent candidates gained a little less than one percentage point victory this time hardly changes the power balance of the union.
The union Secretary, Mr. Matti Mäkelä, also considers the result to be expected and admits the slight defeat of the Influencers’ alliance which consists of supporters of the Left Alliance and independent candidates.
The voter turnout was 44, 1 percent. It is about five percentage points less than four years ago.
— Of course we wish that the voter turnout would have been higher, Riku Aalto states.
There is one essential factor for the True Finns not to have made a big run in the nomination of candidates or in the union elections.
— If you want to succeed in trade union elections you have to work on the grass root level to gain influence. The work has to be done on the shop floor.
464 delegates were elected to the Metalworkers’ 21st Congress and to the representative body of the Metalworkers’ Unemployment Fund.
The numbers of personal votes will be published on Wednesday and the election result confirmed 3.4.
Heikki Piskonen
The election result can be found on the election website.
Election and Congress
(22.11.2011)
The highest decision making organ of the Finnish Metalworkers’ Union is the Congress which convenes every fourth year. The delegates to the Congress are elected by ballot.
The Congress decides on the general guidelines of the union for the next four years. The Congress elects the President of the union, the union Secretary, the other members of the Board and the members of the National Council.
The 21st Congress takes place 27.-30.5.2012. 464 delegates are elected to the Congress.
The postal advance vote takes place 2.–16.3., and the regular voting dates are 25.–27.3.2012.
