Tehy President Millariikka Rytkönen and Tehy Leading Legal Counsel Jarkko Pehkonen met today with Minister of Social Security Sanni Grahn-Laasonen (National Coalition Party) and conveyed to her a powerful message from Tehy members.
Rytkönen and Pehkonen told the minister that the Government should not pass a law that threatens to further increase pregnancy discrimination and fixed-term employment contracts in the healthcare and social welfare sector.
Discrimination against healthcare and social welfare workers on the grounds of pregnancy is already most common in fixed-term employment contracts. Despite this, the Government wants to further facilitate their use in its proposal, which would allow the conclusion of fixed-term employment contracts for one year without justification. Tehy opposes the proposal in its entirety, and in particular its application to the public sector and the healthcare and social welfare sector.
“The amendment would further exacerbate pregnancy discrimination and increase uncertainty among employees in the healthcare and social welfare sector. Pregnancy discrimination and endless strings of fixed-term contracts are already part of everyday life for Tehy members. I cannot see the amendment having any positive effects,” said Millariikka Rytkönen, who met with the minister.
Minister Grahn-Laasonen herself has described the prevalence of pregnancy discrimination as shocking and has stated that the situation cannot continue as it is.
Minister of Employment also consulted on the matter
The Government justifies the amendment by arguing that employers will be more willing to hire employees. The Government believes that this will increase hiring, boost employment and improve central government finances. However, Tehy points out that wellbeing services counties and municipalities will not hire any more people than their budgets allow for in terms of personnel costs.
Tehy also recently met with Minister of Employment Matias Marttinen (National Coalition Party) to discuss the issue, warning him that the legislative amendment would only harm the healthcare and social welfare sector.
“Meetings with ministers and other key decision-makers are a central part of our work at Tehy. We maintain an open line of communication with decision-makers and provide input on legislative proposals affecting our sector at an early stage. In this work, too, our main concern is each member and their working conditions,” says Rytkönen.
Adult education allowance must be reinstated
Rytkönen and Pehkonen also expressed their concern to Minister Grahn-Laasonen about the abolition of the adult education allowance. Tehy had predicted that the abolition of the adult education allowance would reduce the number of applicants for training in healthcare and social welfare, and recent statistics show that Tehy’s prediction was correct.
The situation is particularly worrying as the number of student places has been increased at the same time to attract more professionals to the sector.
“We have repeatedly emphasised the importance of the adult education allowance in solving the shortage of skilled workers in the wellbeing services counties. Without the adult education allowance, many people would simply be unable to pursue training. The issue must be rectified, or at least a model must be created that corresponds to the abolished adult education allowance,” Rytkönen says.
Further information:
Jarkko Pehkonen, Leading Legal Council, tel. 040 531 5465, [email protected]