The Finnish Paper Workers’ Union

The Finnish Paper Workers’ Union, founded 1906, organizes all blue collar workers in the pulp and paper industry. The main task is to watch over its members’ interests and to negotiate a collective bargaining agreement. The main employers are UPM, Stora Enso and Metsä Group.

The Union consists of 65 local unions nationwide. Each is run by an executive committee, which is elected annually and headed by a president; who is also elected at the annual meeting.

If a union member is made unemployed they can receive unemployment benefit from the  Finnish Paper Workers’ Unemployment Fund.

International Connections
The Finnish Paper Workers’ Union is a member of the Nordic IN; IndustriALL European Trade Union representing workers in mining, energy and manufacturing sectors at the European level and IndustriALL Global Union representing aforementioned workers at the global level.

The local unions send delegates to a congress, which takes place every fourth year - next time in June 2013. The Congress is the Union’s supreme decision-making body and elects the president of the Paper Workers’ Union. Each local union sends one delegate for every 200 members. 

Between Congresses the National Council makes the decisions. The administrative board of the union is the Executive Committee, which usually meets once a month.