Rules of procedure concerning industrial action, as referred to in section 8 of the Rules of the Union and providing more detail on provisions pertaining to industrial action. Approved by the Board of Directors of Akava Special Branches on 18 September 2005.

1. Deciding on industrial action

• Decisions on industrial action shall be made by the Board of Directors of Akava Special Branches when the advisory board or industrial action concerns multiple collective agreement sectors, with the consent of the advisory boards.
• If the Board of Directors of the Union makes a decision on a collective measure that must, in accordance with the applicable legislation or agreement, be communicated in advance to the public authorities or an employer, Akava and its negotiation organisations must be informed before the said notification.
• Decisions on the implementation and coordination of industrial action that concerns the central organisation Akava shall be made by Akava’s Board of Directors after consulting the member organisations. Decisions on participating in industrial action decided on by Akava shall be made by the Board of Directors of Akava Special Branches after consulting the advisory boards concerned.
• If the decision on industrial action is made by an Akava negotiation organisation, the Board of Directors of the Union may, having consulted the advisory boards concerned, opt out of the industrial action within the time frame stipulated by the rules of the negotiation organisation in question.
• Member organisations of Akava Special Branches have one (1) day to opt out of industrial action decided on by the Board of Directors of the Union after being notified of the decision. Organisations that opt out of the decision of the Board of Directors will be excluded from the industrial action. However, a member organisation cannot opt out of a decision on industrial action that relates to a tripartite decision or is otherwise universal.
• If a member organisation of the Union intends to engage in a collective measure which it must, according to the applicable legislation or agreement, communicate in advance to the authorities or the employer (legal industrial action), the member organisation must obtain permission for its measure from the Board of Directors of Akava Special Branches. If the Board of Directors prohibits the measure in question, the member organisation may put the decision on its prohibition to a vote by an extraordinary Union Meeting within 14 days of being notified of the decision.
• If a member organisation has not received permission from the Board of Directors or the Union Meeting to initiate an industrial action but initiates the industrial action regardless, its may be expelled from the Union pursuant to section 6 of the Rules of Akava Special Branches.
• The scope of any strike shall be determined by the Board of Directors of the Union on the basis of proposals submitted by the advisory boards concerned.
• If the industrial action is part of industrial action by Akava or its negotiation organisation, the Board of Directors will consult Akava or its negotiation organisation when determining the scope of the strike.
• In organisation-specific industrial action, the organisation itself determines the scope of the strike. The scope of the strike must be in line with the permission given to the industrial action by the Board of Directors of the Union.

2. The financial aspects of industrial action and strike allowance

• Financial decisions concerning industrial action shall be made by the Board of Directors of Akava Special Branches. The Board of Directors shall decide on the use of funds and the amount of industrial action allowance to be paid. Practical measures shall be decided on by the head of industrial action appointed by the Board of Directors.
• In addition to strike allowance decided on by the Board of Directors of the Union, the member organisation may make a decision on the payment of organisation-specific additional allowance. Any additional allowance to be paid shall be the responsibility of the member organisation that made the decision.
• The accumulation of the industrial action reserve is the responsibility of the Union Meeting in connection with approving the budget.

3. Organisational readiness: organisation and resource allocation

3.1 Basic readiness

1. Maintaining continuous organisational readiness is the responsibility of the advisory boards operating under the Board of Directors of the Union. The presenting officer for each advisory board in matters pertaining to organisational readiness shall be the Akava Special Branches officer responsible for organisational readiness.

2. In their respective sectors, the advisory boards are responsible for:

• ensuring that organisational readiness is maintained and developed in accordance with the general guidelines issued by the Board of Directors,
• ensuring that the field organisation has effective and up-to-date instructions and guidelines,
• maintaining and developing their network of organisational readiness contact persons,
• providing training related to organisational readiness for the Union’s bodies, shop stewards, organisational readiness contact persons and member organisations,
• maintaining contact with other advisory boards in matters concerning organisational readiness,
• for their part, reviewing the Union’s industrial action organisation and communication plan annually,
• preparing action plans and cost estimates concerning organisational pressure measures in accordance with the instructions issued by the Board of Directors of the Union,
• maintaining contact with the bodies responsible for organisational readiness in Akava and its negotiation organisations.

3. The member organisations shall appoint an organisational readiness contact person to represent the member organisation. The appointment shall be communicated to the Akava Special Branches officer responsible for organisational readiness.

4. In the public sector, employees select an organisational readiness contact person at the level of the municipality, agency or workplace. The appointment shall be communicated to the Akava Special Branches officer responsible for organisational readiness.

5. In the private sector, the organisation of industrial action readiness concerning the private sector negotiation organisation, the Federation of Professional and Managerial Staff YTN, is organised through cooperation between the unions.

3.2 Elevated readiness and industrial action

1. The Board of Directors appoints a head of industrial action for the Union and a separate industrial action committee under the head of industrial action. In appointing the industrial action committee, expertise in the sectors which the industrial action concerns will be taken into consideration if possible.

2. The industrial action committee may appoint a communications division, financial division and data communications division to support it. Other divisions may also be established as necessary.

3. The duties of the industrial action committee are as follows:

• Taking responsibility for establishing the industrial action organisation, as well as its operations and management,
• preparing the industrial action plan and issuing the necessary exceptional permissions related to the scope of any strike and emergency work on the basis of instructions issued by Akava and/or Akava’s negotiation organisations and/or the Board of Directors of Akava Special Branches.
• providing the field organisation with detailed operating instructions,
• providing the field organisation with an industrial action task, the scope of the strike, internal communication in the Union, communication with the field organisation of other unions potentially participating in the industrial action, and stance towards strikebreakers,
• providing the bodies and the field organisation with the necessary orders on the organisation of external communications and related responsibilities (centralised external communications),
• providing the necessary orders on the prioritisation of tasks during elevated readiness and industrial action,
• monitoring the overall situation of the industrial action and issuing the necessary orders and instructions based on it,
• maintaining contact with regional/local industrial action committees, heads of industrial action, industrial action contact persons and member organisations,
• managing cooperation with Akava and the industrial action bodies of its negotiation organisations,
• taking responsibility for other general tasks related to the initiation, management and termination of industrial action,
• compiling the reports of different industrial action bodies and preparing the necessary summaries.

4. The tasks of the head of industrial action are as follows:

• lead the work of the industrial action committee,
• lead industrial action measures,
• present matters concerning the industrial action to the Board of Directors of the Union and the advisory boards concerned,
• represent the Union on the industrial action bodies of Akava and/or its negotiating organisations.

5. The tasks of the communications division are as follows:

• manage communications and the distribution of communications material to the field organisation in accordance with the instructions of the industrial action committee,
• prepare bulletins to be distributed to the industrial action bodies, member organisations, those participating in the industrial action and those who are within the scope of the threat of industrial action,
• prepare releases to be distributed to the media,
• draw up a communications plan for industrial action,
• managing other communications and relations.

6. The tasks of the financial division are as follows:

• prepare plans, decisions and measures concerning the financial aspects of organisational pressure measures in accordance with the instructions issued by the industrial action committee,
• managing general financial issues (e.g. the costs of establishing the field organisation and the payment of strike allowance) in accordance with the instructions issued by the industrial action committee.

7. The tasks of the data communications division are as follows:

• taking responsibility for the provision and effective functioning of the field organisation’s data communications connections (e.g. telephones, computers, fax machines) and the coordination of related purchases of equipment and supplies in accordance with the instructions issued by the industrial action committee
• ensuring that distribution lists and contact details for data communications are up to date,
• ensuring the dissemination of member register data to the industrial action bodies.

8. The head of industrial action and the industrial action committee are supported by the Union’s office and the persons appointed by the organisations participating in the industrial action.

9. An organisation participating in industrial action may appoint its own head of industrial action and/or industrial action committee, which must comply with the instructions issued by the industrial action committee and head of industrial action of Akava Special Branches. The appointment shall be confirmed by the industrial action committee of Akava Special Branches.

10. If the industrial action takes place at a workplace-specific level, the employees may appoint a head of industrial action and/or industrial action committee led by a head of industrial action, which must comply with the instructions issued by the industrial action committee and head of industrial action of Akava Special Branches. The appointment shall be confirmed by the industrial action committee of Akava Special Branches.

11. When industrial action has ended, the organisation is restored to basic readiness.

4. Amendments to the rules concerning the industrial action organisation

Decisions on amending these rules shall be made by the Board of Directors of Akava Special Branches.