Guidelines 2001 defines the following as the primary areas of SAK activity:

SAK as an influential social partner
SAK as an influential voice in the making of social policy
SAK as the co-ordinating organisation for the joint activities of its member unions
SAK as a defender, on an international level, of the workers' interests

International trade union activities are no longer isolated from national issues as they have traditionally been hitherto. Today it is increasingly necessary for the trade union movement to extend its national pursuits to the international arena in the areas of both collective bargaining and of social policy.

The need for SAK to protect the workers' interests at an international level is emphasised by the current trend towards the overall globalisation of trade and finance, and in particular, being a Finnish organisation, by the fact that Finland is now a member of the European Union and has joined the EMU.

There are two factors which have most influenced Finland's recent international status. These are its acquisition of membership of the European Union and the disintegration of the former Soviet Union. Finnish foreign policy is thus now focused on the European Union, which offers the main vehicle of activity relating to international trade policies, to regulations concerning direct investments and on a global perspective, to the issues of human rights and environmental matters. The ETUC initiatives for an employment, labour market and social policy dimension, in addition to the co-operation between the trade union movement and the European Central Bank, are clearly reflected in the SAK guidelines.

The following matters which relate to the protection of workers' rights, on an international level, are of most concern to SAK:
Co-operation in those areas of the former Soviet Union which lie in close proximity to Finland. Co-operation here will gain momentum as the enlargement of the EU proceeds. In order to improve the position and the rights of all the employees in the applicant states, and also in order to safeguard the conditions which are currently enjoyed by the Finnish workforce, SAK supports the development of both social and labour legislation in these countries along with the development of an active social partnership. The opening up of joint labour markets, with countries in which the labour costs are currently something like one-tenth of those prevailing in Finland for example, will inevitably lead to a variety of occupational and labour problems within the present Member States of the European Union.

As the impact of the geographical distance is lessening, so European companies are able to enter the global market with significantly less effort than has hitherto been the case. The reverse side of this is of course that the competitors of these European companies may penetrate the European market with a similar lack of difficulty. Both prices and company strategies can be directly compared and analysed by means of those Internet web sites which are used for the marketing of goods and services. Information appertaining to the levels of pay which is offered by different companies to their employees is also now obtainable at a much greater speed.

The fact that the debate on the enlargement of the European Union has been a dominant issue throughout the 1990's is in itself a clear indication of the complexity of the matter. For example the Kosovo crisis, and the costs which are likely to be incurred by the rebuilding of the entire region, have caused uncertainty as to the timing of this EU enlargement. It is still unclear as to what extent the European Union will be compelled to cover these costs and in what way this will affect the enlargement process.

Co-operation in the Nordic area. At present this is influenced by the different relationships which the various Nordic countries enjoy with the European Union and with Nato, although the Nordic countries themselves are still closely inter-connected. The basis for this close relationship is founded on past joint projects, on the Nordic social model and on the significant degree of influence, on the social decision making processes in these countries, of the trade union movement.

Co-operation on the global level which focuses on securing the basic rights, founded on ILO principles, of workers throughout the world and on the inclusion, particularly in WTO decisions, of a social clause in the terms and conditions of international trade. SAK has actively lobbied those Government Departments which will be responsible for Finland's participation in the impending WTO negotiation round.

SAK has reassessed its international strategy for the protection of the workers' interests and has adopted a wider and more global approach. SAK is committed to further developing its own practical skills and methods, but this alone is not enough. Reappraisal of the old values is also needed. The traditional values of the trade union movement are based on collectivity, co-operation and fairness. Whilst there is an increase in the international migration of people, the need for tolerance is growing and this will become an important issue in the matter of equality. Giving attention to the position of women in connection with all trade union activities is a first class example of the protection of human rights.

The trade union movement must, if only to ensure its own survival, have the ability to react quickly. It should be understood that the development of the information society and that of the digital networks, both of which bring together a large group of different players, has led to a situation in which companies have included, both within their organisation and in their business methods, an international dimension. This embraces the strategies of outsourcing, of the transfer of production to new locations, and of the simultaneous provision of their products and services in a variety of different market areas.