About Tehy

Tehy is the largest trade union in Finland for health and social care professionals.

All members of Tehy are qualified professionals who have a degree in health or social care or are studying to become a qualified health or social care professional.

Of its 160 000 members, 20 000 are students. The unionization rate in the health care sector is over 90 per cent. Tehy members work both in the public and private sectors.

Tehy’s main goal is to supervise and improve the economical, professional and social interests of its members.

Tehy - The Union of Health and Social Care Professionals in Finland

  • Tehy represents qualified social care, health care, rehabilitation and early education professionals and students of these professions in both the private and the public sectors.
  • Tehy is the largest trade union for health and social care professionals serving more than 160 000 members.
  • Tehy was established in 1982.
  • Tehy is a politically pluralistic organization.
  • The main goal of Tehy is to supervise and improve the economical, professional and social interests of its members. 

Tehy

  • negotiates collective agreements
  • gives guidance and support in work-related matters
  • offers legal aid to members and takes disputes to court, if necessary
  • provides trade union education and training
  • gathers statistics and research data to support the work of representing the interests of its members
  • campaigns to improve working conditions and occupational health and safety
  • influences legislation and health and social care reforms
Tehy Statistics
Kuvituskuva
160 000
members in total
Kuvituskuva
91,5 % of the members
of Tehy are women
Kuvituskuva
The average age of
Tehy members is 42 years
  • About 70 % work in the municipal sector and 25 % in the private sector
  • 71,4  % of Tehy members working in the municipal sector work full-time and 81,2 % work with permanent contracts
  • The average salary of a registered nurse working in the municipal sector is about 3100 euro, a little bit more than in the private health care sector
  • The unemoployment rate of health and social care professionals is about 2 %
  • Tehy negotiates 10 collective agreements (1 in the municipal, 1 in state and 8 in the private sector)
  • There are more than 200 local Tehy branches around Finland
The biggest professional member groups
Kuvituskuva
46,3%
Registered nurses
Kuvituskuva
20,8 %
Practical nurses
Kuvituskuva
5,8 %
Public health nurses