On 16 February, Helsingin Sanomat published a news article stating that the purchasing power of women is now better than in a decade, and the largest pay rises have taken place in the social welfare and healthcare sectors. In the article, Head of Macro Analysis Henna Mikkonen from the Savings Banks Group said that the purchasing power of women has improved more thanks to the larger pay rises.
When the news article was published, Sofia Vikman, a member of parliament from the National Coalition Party, published a post on Instagram, stating that “our determined work is bearing fruit and new actions will be taken”.
Millariikka Rytkönen highlights that this historical result was only achieved by the Tehy people, not by the National Coalition Party or the Finnish government.
– We fought for these raises and pay programmes. We found no solidarity. While we were exercising our right to protest, holding a demonstration in front of the Parliament House, an MP came out and shouted at us, telling us to be quiet. But we were not silenced. We continued to fight, using only legal measures, Rytkönen says.
Even without support, Tehy and the trade union Super continued to fight for equal pay.
And now the results of this work done by Tehy and Super can be seen in the statistics. The pay rises negotiated in 2022 have strengthened the purchasing power of professionals in the social welfare, healthcare and early childhood education and care sectors, reflected in concrete growth in real wages, especially in female-dominated sectors.
– The wage solution achieved by Tehy permanently raised the pay level of the care sector and launched a pay programme with results that will span several years. The historical pay gap is growing narrower, and the attraction and retention factors of social welfare, healthcare and early childhood education and care sectors will improve, says Rytkönen.
Tehy president Rytkönen points out that this development of real wages proves that success can be achieved through determined advocacy.
– When pay rises exceed price increases, this improves the everyday financial security of professionals. This is a significant step forward in these sectors with demanding, responsible work that is essential to a functional society, says Rytkönen.
On Minna Canth’s Day, Rytkönen wishes to remind people that there is still work to be done, however. Even though real wages are increasing, a woman earned about 84–87 cents for every euro a man made in 2025.
Tehy will continue its tireless work to improve pay equality and to gain also financial recognition for the professionals of social welfare and healthcare sectors.
– On the day of equality, I want to thank all Tehy people for using their rights to speak and participate in industrial action in 2022. You, as a Tehy member, were the one to achieve this improvement in the purchasing power of women – not any of the government parties. THANK YOU! says Rytkönen.
Enquiries: Tehy Senior Economist Anni Marttinen, tel. +358 (0)40 765 8584, email: [email protected]
