Everyone should know
17.6.2009
It seems that we Finns take it for granted that everyone knows about trade unions. But it may not be so. Read Toe's story:
I came Finland to work
March 2008, I have come to Finland to work. The company I had worked for provides knowledge-based services for customers who want to enhance their business better through the services. I had been satisfied with my work, my salary, and the living standard of Finland, being not quite ready for the recession we have now. The beginning of 2009, the economical crisis had came.
We knew
We knew that this was coming. No one knew when, but all of us knew that it was coming. Few days before I was being suspended, I was talking to my boss if he didn’t know that this was coming, because we were not saving something for the rainy days, but rather expanding our business. I knew that, he said, but I just didn’t know when and how big, he sighed.
I didn’t know
I didn’t know that there is such union. As I mentioned earlier,
since Finland is well known for its good social welfare, I just assumed that
some money was already deducted from my salary to be used for people who are
suspended or fired. Well, yes it was deducted but not enough.
Now, I am getting
some 20 Euros from Kela every working day, which is far from enough money for
food.
I didn’t know there were unions and I could have joined when I first came to Finland so that I won’t be so worried about living expenses seeking another job. I came to Finland to work at the end of March 2008, and I could have got the benefits from a labor union if I have known and joined the union for the time being.
He didn’t know
I went to a Finnish language test that I should have undertaken as a
job seeker to get the money from Kela. It is mandatory for a job seeker who has
registered himself/herself to the employment office, and the employment office
find out if you didn’t attend so that they can cut the subsidiary.
There were a
lot of people, and I talked to a guy in a queue to make sure whether I was
lining in a right one. This British guy with two kids and Finnish wife didn’t
know there is labor unions in Finland nor that he could have got almost or even
more than a thousand Euros if he has joined.
Well, what can you say? A guy living with Finnish wife waiting in a queue for a mandatory Finnish language test didn’t know there are unions.
She didn’t know
I talked to my Japanese friend who has started working when I
started. She speaks good Finnish and has been working for a Finnish company in
which only she is a foreigner. She didn’t know the fact either, and few days
later she found out all of her colleagues are in different unions.
Apparently,
people seem to think everyone in Finland know that there are such a system that
will protect employees in a bad situation. But no, I didn’t know that, this
Japanese girl who speaks Finnish didn’t know that, this British guy neither,
even his wife! Kela didn’t tell us, nor my employer. The information is not
being promoted.
It is a bit better in my case since I live alone and I have an A permit, with which I get some housing subsidiary from Kela. For those who has lower grade of permit, however, this recession would be such a nightmare. Somebody who has bought a house recently? Well, you can imagine better than I can explain.
Everyone should know
As I mentioned earlier, the information is not being promoted to
people from abroad that came to Finland
to work. Of course it is optional whether you want to join the union or not,
but getting to know the system is not optional.
I speak English, of course does
the British guy I met in language test, and my Japanese friend even speaks
Finnish! If there is a leaflet about the info at Kela, if someone has told me
in the alien office when I was getting my residence permit, if anyone told me
that there is such, believe me, I would have joined the union immediately then.
Once again, knowing about the fact that there are unions and I will be safe is not optional.
Toe