SAK asked the Finnish People
:
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| Three-quarters of the Finnish people (72%) believe, that if
demands concerning the reduction of wages are linked to Economic and Monetary Union, then
the trade union movement has a justifiable reason for opposing Finland's membership of the
EMU. This opinion emerged from research work carried by Finland's Gallup. During February 1997, over 1,000 people were interviewed in research work carried out and which was commissioned by SAK. The different population groups are quite unanimous in their opinion, that the possible demand for a reduction in wages is a justifiable reason for the trade union movement to attempt to prevent, total membership. The strongest support for this stance has been taken by employees and lower level clerical employees, by supporters of the Left Wing Alliance, the Green League, the Social Democratic Party, The Centre Party and the members of MTK, the agricultural producers organisation. Additionally two-thirds of entrepreneurs (65%), together with 60 per cent of the members of the national Coalition Party and 56 per cent of the supporters of the Progressive Finnish Party agree with this stance. If a referendum concerning Economic and Monetary Union is organised in Finland, citizens feel that they do not have enough information to be able to determine their own stance. 58 per cent of the Finnish people are of this opinion. Only one-third (37%) believe that they are able to form a stance on membership. Students, lower level clerical employees, supporters of the Green League and the Centre Party together with business and agricultural entrepreneurs, have estimated that their need for information is the greatest. 53 per cent of employees desire more information. As much as two-fifths of Finnish people (39%) believe EMU being such a complicated project, that the trade union movement's support or opposition could have a significant influence on their own views. Approximately half of SAK's members and about half of the supporters of both the Social Democratic Party and the Centre Party appreciate the trade union movement's stance when formulating their own opinion. A slightly higher proportion of the unemployed place more reliance on the trade union movement, than the employed. |
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