SAK: 60 years of women’s activities

Equality at the Workplace - from Fairy Tales to Fair Deals

Today it is the task of the SAK Equality Committee to co-ordinate the work on equality issues being done by various trade unions. The emphasis and content of the activities aimed at attaining equality have changed. In the first few decades work in the women’s sector was mainly focused on the intensification of recruitment of women as trade union members and on separate training for women. It was necessary to provide training to enable women to become competent trade union officers and activists and thus give them the opportunity to ascend the rungs of the ladder and be selected to positions in decision-making bodies, alongside men. It has only been understood since the 1970’s that women’s special competence lies in women’s issues represented by women and furthermore that women are needed to safeguard the interests which are of particular importance to women. Today lay women in the trade union movement are offered self-esteem and awareness training. However, men have not been forgotten and they are also invited to participate in the work for attaining equality. Co-operation is required, at every level of all the labour market organisations, in the pursuit of promoting equality in the workplace, and we have succeeded in commencing such co-operation.

International interaction provides encouragement

It is not an easy or a simple task to increase equality in the workplace. It requires sustained effort and research into the facts surrounding the hidden structures and processes which renew and maintain inequality in both the workplace and society. International interaction in this field provides encouragement, making the work towards increased equality more efficient.

SAK will celebrate the year 1998 with a theme ‘Equality at the Workplace - from Fairy Tales to Fair Deals’.

We shall bring this theme up in various ways for public debate in Finland: we are publishing a book and a computer game on this subject, and shall also publish ‘Tuuli’, a SAK magazine for women. In addition, we will organise seminars for various audiences and arrange numerous celebratory occasions to commemorate the 60 years of the SAK Women’s Committee.

Roundtable debate commenced in Finland at SAK’s initiative

In April 1997 as a result of an SAK initiative, the labour market central organisations in Finland commenced round-the-table debate on the promotion of equality. By the autumn of 1997 the participants were advocating a jointly planned tripartite conference, on the issues of equality in the workplace, to be held in the autumn of 1999. The participants have additionally decided to commence a long-term research programme, spanning several years, on the promotion of equality and the subsequent effect on the working environment within 8 to 10 companies. An interim report on this venture has been planned for June 1999. The promotion of equal pay for equal work and the development of this issue in the international arena is being studied by a job evaluation group formed by the roundtable participants. It has just been decided that the work of this group shall be ongoing. During the autumn of 1997 this working group published a job assessment report on the skills and level of responsibility demanded in different jobs, entitled ‘From Illusion - Into Realities’.

Women’s participation is supported by the right ambience

The prerequisites for equality in real life have now been created in Finland. It is just as usual for women to work outside the home as it is for men. There is legislation which guarantees maternity, paternity and parenting leave, and the care of children and old people has been well organised. In addition the general ambience in Finland supports women’s participation in the labour market and in civic decision making, yet equality is still increasing only slowly. Legislation provides the framework, but no laws or statutes alone will increase equality without effort and co-operation. The most important promotion of the principle of equality is in fact carried out within the workplace. Good practices and examples will themselves speak for equality.

Riitta Partinen
Secretary in Equal Opportunities, SAK