The collective agreement negotiations for universities of applied sciences have ended and the parties have accepted the negotiation result. The new collective agreement for universities of applied sciences provides a good foundation from which to develop the working life of researchers, teachers, and experts in the UAS sector.
As parties to the negotiations, the Federation of Professional and Managerial Staff YTN, the Trade Union of Education in Finland OAJ, and Finnish Education Employers FEE have jointly accepted the collective agreement for universities of applied sciences. The collective agreement will be valid from 1 April 2024 to 31 March 2026.
This separate collective agreement for the UAS sector will draw attention to the significance of research and expert work at universities of applied sciences and strengthen the possibility to advance the working conditions of researchers, teachers, and experts working at universities of applied sciences.
‘One of FUURT’s objectives regarding better consideration for research work is realised partially for the personnel groups covered by the collective agreement: the current administrative and support service personnel are defined as expert and support personnel in the new collective agreement. This new title highlights better the nature of their work’, states Sanni Tiitinen, Chair of Suomen ammattikorkeakoulujen tieteentekijät (Finnish Association of Researchers and Teachers in Universities of Applied Sciences).
The establishment of this collective agreement is a significant improvement in terms of the promotion of interests for FUURT members also through the strengthening of the shop steward network. Along with this collective agreement, our members will gain the support of shop stewards within their workplace. The next step will be shop steward elections within the individual workplaces.
‘The role of shop stewards within the workplace is vital, and it is really fantastic that these researchers, teachers, and experts will now have the support they need for any challenging agreement and conflict situations within working life. We urge everyone to put themselves forth as a candidate for the shop steward elections and to participate actively in the development of their workplace’, Tiitinen encourages.
The collective agreement also includes the establishment of two specific working groups. The statistics working group and annual holiday determination working group will carry on the joint development work, and based on the principle of continued negotiations, the parties to the agreement have committed to examining the development of the salary system during the agreement period.
The collective agreement for universities of applied sciences can be viewed on the website of the Federation of Professional and Managerial Staff YTN. FUURT members work diversely as researchers, teachers, and experts at universities of applied sciences.
Further information:
Nina Hahtela, Acting Executive Director
Sanni Tiitinen, Chair of Suomen ammattikorkeakoulujen tieteentekijät (Finnish Association of Researchers and Teachers in Universities of Applied Sciences), Vice President of the Board of FUURT
The e-mail addresses for both are in the form firstname.lastname(a)tieteentekijat.fi.