It’s your chance to influence things! Be a candidate in the Union Congress elections

PAM’s Union Congress will be held in Jyväskylä in October. The Congress sets out and approves the union’s action plan and elects the union’s President, Executive Committee and Council for the next four years.

At the Congress, the opinions and voice of PAM members will be expressed through the actions of the Congress representatives and the decisions made there. The Congress is preceded by the Union Congress elections. Any eligible PAM member can stand for election as a Union Congress representative, meaning any fee-paying member whose membership of the union began no later than 31 March 2023 and whose membership fees are up to date.

Are you interested in being a candidate? Don’t hesitate to put your name forward!

Currently over 700 PAM members have announced their candidacy and their interest in taking decisions at the Congress.

It is still possible to add your name to this terrific group of candidates! Candidate nomination meetings start in the branches on Monday 29 May. Any eligible member still has the opportunity to put their name forward for election at these meetings. Many of these meetings will be held over the next two weeks.

2 easy ways to become a candidate

1. Attend the candidate nomination meeting.
Check the date of the meeting in your branch here and attend the meeting. At the meeting, say that you want to be a candidate.

2. Let the meeting know in advance that you want to be a candidate.
If you cannot attend your branch meeting, for example if it clashes with your working hours, fill in the form to say you want to stand and return it to your regional office or branch in good time before the meeting.  Read how to do this here.

Union Congress elections will be held from 28 August to 15 September 2023 – Candidates don’t need to be alone!

An electronic election between the candidates standing will be held in August-September. In the elections PAM members entitled to vote will vote for candidates. Based on the election result, 329 full Congress representatives will be elected.

Many candidates are standing for election for the first time. PAM’s Organisation Manager Aki Rouhiainen insists that no candidate will be left on their own.

“You don’t need to worry about standing as a candidate or doing election work. The most important thing is to say you are a candidate. PAM and the branches offer support and assistance to every candidate and will answer any questions that are on your mind.”

Rouhiainen points out that the Union Congress elections are mostly about what, for example, members at your workplace think and how candidates can best take ideas forward from their own sector, workplace and colleagues and get them heard at the Congress.

“Discussions with your colleagues are the best campaigning. Tell them that the elections are approaching and that by voting every member can influence what PAM does. You can do these discussions and election work on your own, with a friend or as part of a larger group”, Rouhiainen urges.