About Jytte
Jyväskylän tieteentekijät ry, or Jytte for short, is a member association of The Finnish Union of University Researchers and Teachers (FUURT). FUURT is a member of Akava, the Confederation of Unions for Professional and Managerial Staff in Finland. Jytte provides its members with employment-related help and support, promotes their interests by protecting labour law, social benefits, and wages at the University of Jyväskylä, and negotiates on behalf of its members when needed. As a member of Jytte, you are part of a local network of researchers and teachers and get to enjoy various benefits of membership.
Representation and meetings
Gathering information about its members’ interests, informing them of their rights, supporting their professional development, keeping in touch with them, and representing them at the University are the core activities of Jytte. Maintaining preparedness for industrial action is another key duty.
Jytte mainly reports via the mailing list and the website. Please make sure that your contact details are up to date on the membership register so that our communications will find you.
Jytte has representatives in several university committees and working groups, such as the Labour Protection Committee, the Equality Committee, and the YPJ Assessment Group. Jytte cooperates closely with the shop stewards and the staff representative on the University board. Jytte is represented in the FUURT board and the Young researchers’ section. The Jytte board meets 8 to 11 times a year.
The sidebar has links to the statutes, annual reports since 2017, and a case study of how Jytte’s members can exert influence at the University of Jyväskylä.
Activities and members’ benefits
Jytte’s spring and autumn general meetings are open to all members. In addition to statutory matters, any other business can be raised, making these meetings a good platform for our members to express their views. Jytte also looks after the wellbeing of its members by organising regular recreational activities.
Spring general meeting. The spring general meeting is presented with the financial statements and the annual report. The financial statements are approved and discharge from liability is granted for the relevant parties. The spring meeting is usually held in March, and it is open to all members of Jytte. Food and drinks are provided, and the meeting offers a good opportunity to meet the board and other members of Jytte.
“What I like about the spring meetings is that they suit people who do not always feel like being too social and struggle to speak to anyone after a full day of work. Although you can chat and take part in discussions, you may just as well keep your distance and listen to what is going on in the world of higher education while eating good food. It also applies to the autumn meeting, thinking about it.” – A member
Autumn general meeting and the Christmas party. The autumn general meeting elects the chair, the board members, and their deputies, decides on the membership fee, approves the financial and action plans for the following year, elects the auditor and the deputy auditor for the following year, and elects the representatives and their deputies for the general assembly and the candidates for the FUURT board for the following year. The autumn meeting is usually held in November, and it is open to all members of Jytte. The Christmas party is usually held in November, in conjunction with the autumn general meeting. The festive season is celebrated over food, drink, and light entertainment.
Grants. Jytte awards small grants for the professional development of its members. The application dates are always announced separately on the mailing list, but they are generally in April-May and November. More information about the grants can be found here.
Events and recreation. Jytte provides its members with tickets to cultural and sporting events, such as the theatre, opera, classical and popular music, and futsal and ice hockey games. The exclusive membership events have ranged from wine tasting and sauna bathing to short trips such as a dinner cruise on Lake Päijänne. Jytte has also organised seminars and teach-ins on topics relevant to the members. Please present any event ideas to board members. Events are only announced on the mailing list, so please make sure that your contact details are up to date on the membership register.
Other membership benefits. In addition to everything listed above, you are also entitled to all the benefits of being a member of FUURT. These include legal counselling. To find out more, please visit the FUURT website.
All ideas for developing our operations are welcome. The board members work for the members of the association, so do not hesitate to contact us if you have any questions, ideas for events, or want to give us feedback. The board’s contact details can be found here.
