Alan Pak Lun Fung, HUART Member & Air Quality Specialist
Vappu isn’t just a Finnish celebration. 1st May is known around the world as International Workers Day. To celebrate the diversity of our international membership, we asked our international members to share the importance of joining a union in Finland and how unions in Finland compared to our ’home countries’ – but in our mother tongues. We have created a selection of blogs in a variety of languages.
You can read Alan’s story in Chinese. Scroll down for the English translation.
在芬蘭加入工會：一位香港人的觀察與體會
大家好，我是Alan，很開心可以用繁體中文分享我在芬蘭加入工會的故事。
我來自香港，二零一九年初開始在赫爾辛基大學攻讀博士，這是我在芬蘭第一份有薪水的「工作」。在香港，博士研究生普遍不被視為受僱者，因此我對工會沒有完整概念。同時，我的博士期間大部分時間都在 COVID疫情之下度過，遠距工作讓資訊更加零散，同儕交流也有限。一直到二零二一年底的一個聖誕派對，我與一位合約即將完結的同事聊天，才第一次聽到「薪金掛鈎的失業金」。她說即使沒有新聘書，只要加入工會和失業基金，就能獲得保障。這對當時的我來說，是完全陌生的制度。
後來我順利成為博士後研究員，工作穩定，便沒有再多想工會的事，只是偶爾看到大學電郵提到工會如何協助學者爭取權益。直到三年後博士後合約快將結束，我開始感到迷惘，不確定下一步在哪裡。就在那時，我想起那位同事的提醒：在芬蘭，工會和失業基金不只是「以防萬一」，而是實實在在的安全網。於是，在二零二四年年中、博士後合約還剩半年時，我終於正式加入了工會和失業基金。
博士後結束後，我加入了一間初創公司，並繼續保留工會會員資格。沒想到在二零二六年初，公司財務突然惡化，內部混亂，最後整個團隊被裁員。那段時間壓力很大，但我第一時間向工會的法律諮詢求助。他們非常專業，清楚告訴我應該聯絡哪些機構、如何處理文件、有哪些權益需要保障。這些指引讓我在混亂中仍能保持方向。
因為我已加入工會和失業基金足夠長時間，我順利申請到薪金掛鈎的失業金。這筆金額對我非常重要，不但讓我能維持正常生活，也減輕了求職期間的焦慮。最近，我終於收到新的工作聘書，生活逐漸回到正軌。我真心感謝工會的法律支援與失業基金的經濟支援，讓我在最不穩定的時期仍能保持尊嚴與安全感。
作為一個來自香港的人，我對工會的印象其實完全不同。在香港，工會主要提供基本法律諮詢，通常只有在勞資糾紛時才會接觸。他們也會舉辦社交活動或講座，但整體而言，工會並不是生活保障的一部分。香港沒有薪金掛鈎的失業金，只有非常基本的綜援式支援，而且需要繁複的資產審查，令很多人卻步。更重要的是，香港社會普遍把申請失業援助視為羞恥，許多人寧願用光積蓄，也不願意申請。
這些背景也解釋了為什麼我當初遲遲沒有加入芬蘭的工會——我以為工會只是社交組織，沒有太大實際作用。但經歷過這幾年的轉折，我深深明白工會在芬蘭的重要性：它不只是保障勞工權益，更是你在職涯不穩定時的後盾。
如果你是國際人士，在芬蘭工作，我真心建議你盡早加入工會和失業基金。這不是迷信，也不是「以防萬一」，而是實實在在的法律保障與經濟安全。當你需要幫助時，工會會站在你身後，讓你不必孤軍作戰。希望我的故事能讓更多人了解工會的重要性，也祝願大家在芬蘭的生活與工作都能安心、穩定、有保障。
Joining a Union in Finland: Reflections from Someone Who Grew Up in Hong Kong
Hello everyone. I’m Alan from Hong Kong. I’m very happy to share my story of joining a trade union in Finland.
I joined the University of Helsinki to begin my PhD Helsinki in early 2019. It was technically my first paid “job” in Finland, but coming from Hong Kong, I didn’t associate doctoral studies with employment. In Hong Kong, PhD candidates are generally not considered workers, so I had never heard much about trade unions, nor did colleagues ever mention them. On top of that, most of my PhD years took place during COVID. Remote work meant fragmented information, limited peer interaction, and very little understanding of how things worked in Finland.
It wasn’t until the end of 2021, at a Christmas party, that I first learned about the Finnish union system. I was chatting with a colleague whose contract was about to end and casually asked what her plans were. She told me she hadn’t received a new contract yet, but because she was a member of a trade union and an unemployment fund, she would be eligible for earnings-related unemployment benefits if she didn’t find a new position. I was genuinely shocked as this kind of system simply doesn’t exist in Hong Kong.
After finishing my PhD, I continued as a postdoctoral researcher. Life was stable, and I didn’t think much about unions again. Occasionally, I saw university emails about collective bargaining or salary negotiations, but they felt distant from my daily life. Three years later, when my postdoc contract was approaching its end, the uncertainty finally hit me. I didn’t know what would come next. At that moment, I remembered my colleague’s advice from years earlier: joining a union and an unemployment fund provides real protection when things become uncertain. So, in mid2024, with about six months left on my postdoc contract, I finally joined both the University of Helsinki trade union (HUART) and the unemployment fund.
After my postdoc, I joined a startup company and kept my union membership. I thought things were on track—until early 2026, when the company’s financial situation deteriorated rapidly. Everything became chaotic, and eventually our whole team was made redundant. It was a stressful and confusing time, but the first thing I did was contact the union’s legal counselling service. They were incredibly helpful: they explained which organisations I needed to contact, what documents to prepare, and what rights I should protect. Their guidance gave me clarity at a moment when everything else felt unstable.
Because I had been a member long enough, I was eligible to apply for earnings-related unemployment benefits. This financial support was crucial. It allowed me to maintain a normal life without burning through my savings, and it significantly reduced the stress of job hunting. Recently, I received a new job offer, and life is gradually returning to normal. I am truly grateful for both the legal support from the union and the financial support from the unemployment fund—they helped me get through a very difficult period with dignity and stability.
Coming from Hong Kong, my perception of trade unions was very different. In Hong Kong, unions mainly provide basic legal advice and are usually only contacted when labour disputes arise. They also organise social activities or general seminars, but they are not seen as part of a social safety net. There is no earnings-related unemployment benefit in Hong Kong. The only unemployment support available is minimal, requires strict means testing, and is often seen as shameful to apply for. Many people would rather use up their savings than seek assistance. This cultural background explains why I hesitated for so long before joining a union in Finland—I assumed unions were just social organisations with limited practical value.
But after these past few years, I now understand how essential unions are in Finland. They are not only advocates for workers’ rights; they are a real safety net when your career takes an unexpected turn.
If you are an international professional working in Finland, I sincerely encourage you to join a trade union and an unemployment fund early. It is not superstition, nor merely a “just in case” measure. It is a concrete form of legal and financial security. When you need help, the union stands behind you—you don’t have to face uncertainty alone.
I hope my story helps more people understand the importance of unions in Finland, and I wish everyone a stable, secure, and fulfilling life here.