Shop stewards help with problems related to employment
The shop stewards supervise that the collective bargaining is followed and negotiate with the employer about the practical implementation of the agreement. The most essential task of the shop stewards is to help the people in the union in all problems related to work relations. In unclear situations, you can ask the shop steward for help. Contacting them does not mean the publication of the matter or starting negotiations with the employer.
The shop stewards of JUKO, i.e. the Confederation of Unions for Professional and Managerial Staff in Finland, which is a part of AKAVA, are there to serve the members of Tatte.
Remember that grant researchers can turn to the shop stewards, too!
Tatte-background shop steward at Tampere University
Chief shop steward Sinikka Torkkola (p. 0445252736)
E-mail address is in the form: firstname.lastname@tuni.fi.
Via the Finnish Union of University Researchers and Teachers, Tatte is a member of Akava, and all Akava members are represented at the university by the JUKO shop stewards. When you have questions regarding your function, in addition to shop stewards with a Tatte background you can also contact other JUKO shop stewards according to your staff group (professors, university lecturers, post-doctoral researchers, doctoral students, support services etc.). Contacting the shop steward is always confidential.
All shop stewards, their responsibility areas and contact information can be found in university intra.
Health and Safety Representative supports the employee also while working at the university
Project manager and researcher Riitta-Liisa Larjovuori (Tatte ry) worked as a health and safety representative during the years 2015-2022. In the Faculty of Management and Business, Riitta-Liisa works in the research group of well-being at work.
“My goal is to be an easy-to-approach person to bring issues to or to talk to, so that people are not left alone with their worries. I would like the personnel to have the experience that difficult problems also can be solved and that problems, too, can be brought up in our community. No situation is a dead end, and the views of the opposing sides aren’t always as far from each other as it seems at first. The health and safety representative can widen the perspective and help to find different options for further action. If I’m not the best possible person to help you, I can at least help you further. The people at the university do not always know their rights and the services they’re entitled to very well. With my work, I try to make them well-known and, on the other hand, support and help solve things in the best possible way.”
Health and safety representatives are at the employees’ disposal in all matters related to working condition and well-being at work
The health and safety representatives have been chosen by the employees among themselves. They represent employees regarding safety at work in the collaboration with the employer. This means that the health and safety representatives take part in creating the action plan for health and safety at work as well as the health and safety committee of the university and the health and safety at work section in each campus. They handle matters like occupational health and working environment, such as indoor air and facilities.
Contact the health and safety representative if:
- You are concerned about something – any health and safety representative will redirect you to get the best help possible
- You have questions or problems regarding your working conditions whose solutions you would like help or support with
- You would like to bring issues you have noted regarding the working conditions or safety to the attention of the health and safety representative
- You would like a support person for example in a meeting with your employer, in a discussion about early work capacity support or about occupational health.
The principles of health and safety representatives
- Confidentiality
- Impartiality
- Respecting the wishes and rights of the employee
- Representing all employees – no membership required
All health and safety representatives, their responsibilities and contact information can be found here.
