Rules of procedure concerning industrial action

Approved at the autumn Union Meeting on 22–23 November 1991.
Confirmed in the Register of Associations on 26 February 1992
Sections 14, 18, 19 and 21 were approved at the autumn Union Meeting on 26–27 November 1993
Confirmed in the Register of Associations on 18 February 1994
Sections 4 and 10 were approved at the autumn Union Meeting on 25–26 November 1994
Confirmed in the Register of Associations on 12 February 1996
Section 21 was amended at the autumn Union Meeting on 22 November 1997
Confirmed in the Register of Associations on 2 March 1998
Approved at the autumn Union Meeting on 15 November 2003.
Confirmed in the Register of Associations on 21 June 2004
Sections 9 and 14 were amended at the autumn Union Meeting on 20 November 2004
Confirmed in the Register of Associations on 13 April 2005
Sections 1, 16 and 20 were amended at the spring Union Meeting on 23 April 2005
Confirmed in the Register of Associations on 23 November 2005
Confirmed in the Register of Associations on 23 November 2012
Confirmed in the Register of Associations on 18 March 2021

Name, domicile and area of operations

Section 1 The name of the association is Akavan Erityisalat AE ry. In Swedish, the name is Akavas Specialorganisationer rf. In these Rules, the organisation is referred to as “the Union” and the organisations that have joined it are referred to as “member organisations”. The Union is domiciled in Helsinki and its area of operations covers the entire country.

Purpose and activities

Section 2 As a central labour market organisation of professional associations, the purpose of the Union is to:

• monitor pay and other professional, social and training-related benefits related to employment and service relationships among its member organisations and their members,
• represent the member organisations in matters that are of common concern to them, and
• promote cohesion and mutual cooperation among the members of its member associations.

Section 3 In order to fulfil its purpose, the Union:

• monitors legislation, societal developments and the training, pay and labour market situation of the members of its member organisations, and exerts influence on these matters,
• negotiates, monitors and makes proposals on matters concerning the interests, employment and service relationships, pay and other terms and conditions of employment of its members, as well as matters of general significance concerning its members, such as matters concerning well-being at work and the quality of working life,
• represents its members in relation to other professional associations, employers and public authorities,
• promotes the organisation of eligible persons in the Union’s member organisations,
• supports the operations of its member organisations, and
• carries out research, communication and publishing activities and organises meetings, training events and negotiation events.

The Union may belong to such domestic and international organisations and bodies whose membership promotes the safeguarding of the social and professional interests of the Union or its member organisations and their members. Decisions on joining such organisations and bodies are made by the Board of Directors of the Union.

Members and their obligations

Section 4 A registered association whose members are persons who have completed a university degree or other higher education degree, or persons with a job title comparable to them, may be a member organisation. A registered association whose members are students pursuing the aforementioned degrees may also be a member organisation.

The purpose of a member organisation must be to safeguard the professional interests, general financial interests, educational interests and social interests of its members.

The Board of Directors of the Union approves member associations on the basis of written membership applications. The application must be accompanied by the association’s rules, proof of registration, the annual report and financial report for the previous year, if available, as well as a statement on the number of members and the educational structure of the members.

A member organisation of the Union and the organisation that has applied for membership can request that the Board of Directors’ decision on the approval or rejection of the membership application be put to a vote by the Union Meeting by notifying the Board of Directors of the request in writing within 30 days of being informed of the decision.

Section 5 A member organisation may resign from the Union by informing the Union in the manner stipulated by the Finnish Associations Act. An extract from the minutes of the member organisation’s meeting must be enclosed with the notice of resignation. The resignation will take effect immediately, and the member organisation’s rights and obligations in the Union will simultaneously cease. Any position of trust in the Union held by a representative of the resigning member organisation will be terminated at the time of resignation. The member organisation shall be liable to pay six months’ membership fees for the period following the month of resignation. Upon the termination of membership, the member organisation shall not have any right to the Union’s assets.

Section 6 A member organisation that acts contrary to the Union’s purposes or otherwise violates these rules may be expelled from the Union. Decisions on the expulsion of a member organisation are made by the Board of Directors of the Union. The member organisation can request that the expulsion decision be put to a vote by the Union Meeting by notifying the Board of Directors of the Union of the request in writing within 14 days of being informed of the decision.

When a member organisation is expelled, its rights and obligations in the Union cease. However, the expelled member organisation is liable to pay membership fees corresponding to the share of membership fees for a period of six months immediately following the month of expulsion.

Section 7 In addition to what is stipulated elsewhere in these rules, the member organisation shall:

• submit proposals to the Union on lobbying objectives and professional and other work-related issues,
• annually submit to the Union, without delay, an action plan for the next period of operations and an annual report on the previous year, 3. for its part, ensure that its members pay their membership fees and provide the Union with the necessary personal data, wage information and membership information,
• notify the Union of any amendments to its rules,
• refrain from amending its purpose, as stated in its rules, or its area of operations and member acquisition, without the consent of the Board of Directors of the Union, and
• provide the Union with any other information it requests that is necessary for the operations of the Union.

Collective measures

Section 8 Decisions on industrial action and collective measures shall be made by the Board of Directors of the Union. The Board of Directors approves the rules of procedure for industrial action, which specify the implementation of industrial action and collective measures, as well as the related decision-making process.

If a member organisation intends to take industrial action or collective measures, it must obtain permission from the Board of Directors of the Union. The process of applying for and granting permission is specified in the rules of procedure for industrial action. If a member organisation or its members engage in industrial action or collective measures that are contrary to the law or the applicable collective agreement, any financial obligations that may be incurred by the Union due to such actions and measures shall be borne by the member organisation in question.

A member organisation of the Union may opt out of a decision on industrial action made by the Union in the manner specified in the rules of procedure on industrial action. When the decision concerns the approval of a tripartite agreement or a corresponding universally applicable agreement, the member organisations shall not have the right to opt out.

Having consulted the member organisation, the Board of Directors of the Union may prohibit the members of a member organisation from engaging in work that is subject to industrial action by a member organisation of the Union or some other trade union.

Membership fee

Section 9 Member organisations are obliged to pay the Union a membership fee for the members of the member organisation. The membership fee to be paid by a member organisation to the Union for an individual member is determined by the Union Meeting for a period of one year at a time. The membership fees must be determined on the basis of equal criteria.

The Union Meeting may decide that, for student members, independent professionals and entrepreneur members, pensioner members, members who are not employed, members residing or working abroad and honorary members, the member organisation will pay a reduced membership fee as decided on by the Union Meeting, or the Union Meeting may grant an exemption from the membership fee on corresponding grounds. The Union Meeting may grant reduced membership fees at different rates for different groups of members in such a way that the membership fee for members in the same situation is of equal size. The joining discount can be allocated to an association, an individual member of an association, or a group of members.

The Union Meeting may also annually decide on a member organisation-specific basic fee to be paid as a part of the membership fee. The basic fee shall be the same for all member organisations.

If necessary, the Union Meeting may order a member organisation to pay an additional membership fee for its members for a period of time determined by the Union Meeting. The size of such a fee may not exceed the member organisation’s membership fee.

Bodies

Section 10 The Union’s decision-making power is exercised by the Union Meeting, and the executive body is the Board of Directors.

The Board of Directors may appoint a Working Committee, various committees and working groups, as well as sector-specific advisory boards. The Board of Directors approves the rules of procedure for these bodies.

The Union may have regional and/or local contact persons and regional and/or local operating units. The Board of Directors of the Union approves the rules of procedure for these persons and units.

Section 11 When voting takes place in the Union’s bodies, the opinion that receives more than half of the votes cast will be the decision, unless otherwise provided in these rules or in the Union’s other guidelines and rules of procedure. Elections must always be conducted by secret ballot. If the votes are tied, the decision will be the position supported by the chairperson of the body. In elections, however, a tie is resolved by drawing lots.

Section 12 Persons elected to the Union’s positions of trust and various bodies must be members of member organisations.

Union Meetings

Section 13 The number of votes of a member organisation at the Union Meeting shall be calculated so that each member organisation has one (1) vote at the Union Meeting for every 50 paying individual members or part thereof.

When calculating the number of votes, a member organisation’s number of members shall be the number of individual members who were paying membership fees at the end of the calendar year preceding the Union Meeting.

If an organisation becomes a member organisation of the Union in the middle of a calendar year, the number of votes shall be confirmed on the basis of the number of the organisation’s individual members paying membership fees on the date of joining the Union.

A member organisation may appoint one (1) representative to the Union Meeting for each two (2) votes or part thereof, but no more than ten (10) representatives. However, when a member organisation has one (1) vote, it may appoint one (1) representative to the Union Meeting. A member organisation’s representative at the Union Meeting must be a voting member of the Union’s member organisation. Representatives to the Union Meeting are appointed for a two-year term at the beginning of the term when a new Board of Directors is elected.

Section 14 The Union meets at the invitation of the Board of Directors in ordinary Union Meetings in April–May (spring Union Meeting) and October–November (autumn Union Meeting). Extraordinary Union Meetings may be convened if necessary.
In addition to what is stipulated elsewhere in these Rules, an extraordinary Union Meeting must also be convened if the Union Meeting so decides, if the Board of Directors deems it necessary, or if at least three (3) member organisations representing a minimum of one-tenth (1/10) of the total number of individual members of all member organisations request it in writing from the Board of Directors in order to address a specific matter.

The notice of the meeting must be sent to the member organisations and their appointed representatives by letter no later than ten (10) days before an ordinary Union Meeting and no later than three (3) days before an extraordinary Union Meeting. The notice of the meeting must specify the matters to be discussed at the meeting.

Proposals to the Union Meeting may be put forward by the Board of Directors of the Union and the member organisations. A member organisation’s proposal to the Union Meeting must be submitted in writing to the Board of Directors of the Union no later than six (6) weeks before the Union Meeting. The Board of Directors of the Union must present the proposal to the Union Meeting, accompanied by its own statement.

The chairperson of the Union Meeting shall be a Union Meeting representative elected by the Union Meeting from among its number.

The members and deputy members of the Board of Directors of the Union, as well as the auditors and the officers of the Union and its member organisations, shall have the right to speak and be present at the Union Meeting.

Section 15 Elections at the Union Meeting and in the Union’s bodies shall be held by using proportional voting. Proportional voting shall be conducted in accordance with the provisions of section 29, subsection 3, paragraph 1 of the Finnish Associations Act, always by secret ballot. The Union Meeting shall approve separate election and voting rules for the purpose of conducting elections, voting and other meeting procedures.

At the spring Union Meeting

Section 16

• the Board of Directors’ report on the Union’s operations during the previous operating period is presented, along with the financial statements and the auditor’s statement,
• a decision is made on adopting the financial statements and discharging the accountable persons from liability,
• an Election Committee is established to prepare the elections to be held at the autumn Union Meeting, as well as elections in the bodies operating under the Board of Directors, and
• other proposals submitted to the spring Union Meeting are discussed.

At the autumn Union Meeting

Section 17

• the guidelines for the Union’s operations are decided on,
• the action plan and financial plan for the next operating period is confirmed, 3. a decision is made on the size of the membership fee
• to be paid to the Union by member organisations and their members, as well as the due dates for payment and collection methods, and the grounds for exemption from the membership fee as referred to in section 9, subsection 4,
• decisions are made on the fees to be paid to the chairperson, vice-chairs and members of the Board of Directors and the auditors, as well as the criteria for compensation for travel expenses,
• the chairperson of the Board of Directors is elected once every two years,
• the other members and deputy members of the Board of Directors are elected once every two years,
• one auditor and a deputy auditor are elected,
• other proposals submitted to the autumn Union Meeting are discussed.

Honorary Chair

Section 18 The Union Meeting may, on the proposal of the Board of Directors, invite a person who has been particularly distinguished in the Union’s activities or otherwise contributed to the achievement of the Union’s objectives to become an Honorary Chair.

Board of Directors

Section 19 The Board of Directors of the Union consists of the chairperson and ten (10) other ordinary members, all of whom are elected for a term of two periods of operations at a time. The Board of Directors elects three (3) vice-chairs from among its number. Each member, with the exception of the chairperson, has a personal deputy member. Only members of member organisations are eligible for election to the Board of Directors.

If the chairperson of the Board of Directors is permanently prevented from performing his or her duties, the Board of Directors shall convene an extraordinary Union Meeting without delay to elect a new chairperson for the remaining term of office.
If a member or deputy member of the Board of Directors resigns in the middle of the term of office, a new member shall be elected as their replacement for the remaining term of office at the next Union Meeting.

Section 20 The Board of Directors shall be convened at the invitation of its chairperson or, in his or her absence, a vice-chair. The Board of Director has quorum when the chairperson or one of the vice-chairs and at least five (5) other members are present.

Section 21 The Board of Directors is responsible for the Union’s operations and finances. In addition to what is stipulated elsewhere in legislation and these Rules, the Board of Directors’ duties include the following in particular:

Union Meeting

1. prepare matters to be discussed at the Union Meeting and execute the decisions of Union Meetings,

2. present to the spring Union Meeting a report on the Union’s operations and finances for the previous operating period,

3. prepare for the autumn Union Meeting a proposal for the Union’s action plan and financial plan for the next operating period and make a proposal on membership fees,

4. prepare for the autumn Union Meeting a proposal on the guidelines for the Union’s operations,

Finances and personnel

5. see to the Union’s accounting and asset management, monitor the realisation of the budget and see to the completion of the financial statements,

6. decide on the sale, exchange and pledging of the Union’s assets,

7. hire and dismiss the Union’s personnel in employment relationships that are valid for an indefinite period,

Lobbying

8. decide on policy issues in lobbying and the approval of collective agreements and matters of common concern to the different collective bargaining sectors, and

Other

9. carry out other tasks assigned to the Board of Directors by the Union Meeting.

There is a Working Committee under the Board of Directors, composed of the chairperson and vice-chairs of the Board of Directors. The duties of the Working Committee are specified in the rules of procedure of the Working Committee approved by the Board of Directors. The Executive Director acts as the presenting officer for the Working Committee.

Negotiation and collective bargaining activities

Section 22 The Board of Directors appoints sector-specific advisory boards to assist the Board of Directors in negotiation and collective bargaining activities. The advisory boards may have 5–10 members and their personal deputies. More specific provisions on the election and activities of the advisory boards are laid down in the election and voting rules.

Office

Section 23 The Union’s practical operations and office are managed by the Executive Director under the Board of Directors.

Member voting

Section 24 The Union Meeting shall make decisions on the implementation of advisory member voting. In member voting, a proportional voting procedure shall be followed in accordance with section 29, subsection 3, paragraph 1 of the Finnish Associations Act.

More specific provisions on the implementation of member voting are laid down in the election and voting rules approved by the Union Meeting.

Signing rights

Section 25 The Union’s name may be signed by the chairperson of the Board of Directors and one of the vice-chairs, or one of them together with the Executive Director, always two together. The Board of Directors may grant an officer of the Union the right to sign on an individual basis.

Operating period and financial period

Section 26 The Union’s operating period and financial period is the calendar year.

Finances and auditing

Section 27 More detailed provisions on the management of the Union’s finances are laid down in the financial rules approved by the Board of Directors.

Section 28 To support its operations, the Union may receive donations, grants and bequests, conduct fundraising campaigns and lotteries after obtaining the appropriate permits, and acquire and own real estate and shares. Foundations may be formed from the Union’s funds by a decision of the Union Meeting.

Section 29 The Board of Directors shall submit the Union’s accounts, financial statements and the Board of Directors’ report on the Union’s operations for the previous year, as well as other necessary documents, to the auditor no later than one (1) month before the spring Union Meeting. The auditor shall provide the Board of Directors with a statement, addressed to the spring Union Meeting, on the audit performed. The statement shall be delivered to the Board of Directors no later than two (2) weeks before the spring Union Meeting.

Amendment of the rules and dissolution of the Union

Section 30 Any amendments to these rules shall require a decision of the Union Meeting in which the proposed amendment is supported by at least three-quarters (3/4) of the votes cast.

Section 31 Dissolution of the Union shall require identical decisions from Union Meetings held at least thirty (30) days apart, with at least three-quarters (3/4) of the votes cast at both meetings in favour of the dissolution of the Union.

If the Union is dissolved or terminated, the remaining assets of the Union shall be used to promote the objectives of the Union in a manner to be more specifically determined by the final Union Meeting. The Union’s archive material shall be handed over to the Archive of Salaried Employees for storage.