In English

Professors and the trade union movement

It is normal for employees to belong to trade unions in Finland. You are also welcome to become one of more than two million members in Finnish trade union movement. 
 
Finland´s trade unions have helped to establish a system of basic rights that projects employees in the event of unemployment or illness and that secures their standard of living in old age.
 
The main work of the trade unions nowadays is to negotiate collective agreements establishing rates of pay, working hours, holidays and other terms of employment in spesific industries. Contrary to popular belief, there is no statutory minimum wage in Finland. Instead, the minimum wages and pay scales applied in various industries are specified in the relevant collective agreements.
 
The Finnish Union of University Professors is a labour market organisation which also serves as a channel for common professional interests of its members. The Union furthers financial, social and other employment-related interests of its members. It also seeks to sustain and enhance the status and high esteem of its members and advance their professional and scientific endeavours. lt also concludes labour contracts and collective bargaining agreements on behalf of its members.
 
The Union promotes measures to improve the conditions for scientific research and higher education and forwards interactivity between the research community and the society as a whole.
 

 

The Finnish Union of University Professors has issued a recommendation for good copyright practices. The recommendation was issued because many universities have included appendices to employment agreements that require employees to relinquish their copyrights. Universities have made an effort to simplify the management of copyrights and other intellectual property rights. However, the use of various standard agreements has led to much more confused contractual situations in multilateral international research projects and with diverse digital materials. It is unreasonable to require that employees relinquish their copyrights in advance and as a condition for employment. 

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