Read this article in:
9 February, 2009
Two Finnish trade unions began membership voting last week on a merger of six industrial unions. Kemianliitto, the ICEM-affiliated chemicals, rubber, glass, and textile union, and the Finnish Metalworkers’ Union (Metalli) began separate voting on 5 February, with balloting by both unions to close on 19 February.
The proposed new name for the merged union is to be TEAM. If all six unions ratify the merger, TEAM will have 360,000 members in Finland. Other unions that have been in the longstanding merger discussions, including the Wood and Allied Workers’ Union, Finnish Media Union, Finnish Railwaymen’s Union, and ICEM-affiliated Finnish Electrical Workers’ Union, will conduct other ratification processes in the coming months. The date for the merger to take effect is 1 January 2010.
Kemianliitto’s membership balloting this month is binding, while the vote by metalworkers is a consultative ballot. The Chemical Workers’ Union numbers some 48,000 members and Metalli has 167,000 members.
TEAM’s bargaining structure would consist of 51 collective agreements, and the merged union would be divided into seven sectors, each operating relatively independent. The cumulative number of local branch unions will remain the same at 1,120, with each retaining its autonomy. A proportional delegate Congress will be seated every five years, with the Congress electing a General Council and Executive Committee. The General Council, in turn, would elect Sectoral Executive Committees and Sectoral Directors.
In Kemianliitto’s endorsement of the merger, the union said TEAM would constitute an adequate counterforce to current employer power. “A big union would be stronger and more efficient in safeguarding membership interest both locally, nationally, and internationally. The smaller sectors would benefit from the strength of a big union. Regional activities would gain more efficiency, and the expertise available within the union would benefit all.”