Collective agreements are used to supplement legislation or to negotiate scope-specific contracts. The main principle is that collective agreements cannot contain terms that are less than the statutory requirements. A collective agreement (TES) is an interim contract between a union and an employer union on the conditions of employment observed in this area. Due to the obligation to protect labour, it is forbidden to become familiar with the conditions set out in collective agreements during the duration of the contract. Collective agreements also include decisions on working time and overtime pay. Trade Union Pro`s collective agreements include, for example, agreements on shift work differences, travel allowances, sick pay, maternity leave benefits, leave pay and child care benefits. Pro`s collective agreement guarantees a level playing field of contractual relationship and fair compensation. The compensation system is an integral part of the collective agreement as it defines minimum wages. Finnish legislation does not impose a minimum wage.
Minimum wages are set in sectoral collective agreements. In addition, collective agreements are used to reconcile, for example, the reasons for employment policy, wage increases and rules for hours of work, overtime, weekend holidays and evening and weekend work. A collective agreement negotiated by a union gives you benefits that are much higher than the Employment Contracts Act The terms and conditions of the collective agreement must apply to all employees in the industry, whether they are unionized or not. The system works as long as the number of members is large enough. Under the Collective Agreements Act, the terms of the collective agreement are mandatory for our member companies. Because of the extensive coverage of the agreements and the generally restrictive rule of the employment contract law, they also bind unrelated employers in the aforementioned branches. The collective agreement covers you against arbitrary dismissals and dismissals, because the agreements set out the rules to be followed in the event of termination, i.e. the so-called termination procedures. The general application of the collective agreement may be lost. The alternative is a normally binding collective agreement that binds only the contracting parties. Read also: The collective agreement has considerable benefits Our collective agreements include exemptions from Finnish labour law and include several options for deviating from the rules governing collective agreements through enterprise or employment agreements.