Negotiations for new collective agreement in facility services sector began

PAM and the Real Estate Employers met for the first time on Thursday to negotiate a new collective agreement. In the collective agreement the minimum terms and conditions for employment are agreed, such as minimum pay, working hours, paid days off and sick pay.

The facility services sector is one of the biggest for which PAM negotiates collective agreements. About 50 000 workers are covered by the collective agreement.

“The workers deserve fair terms of employment and a decent income. It’s also in the interest of employers, for as many as four out of five companies have declared the shortage of skilled labour as holding back growth. The sector doesn’t cut it in the competition for labour. A significant factor is the weaker terms of employment compared to other sectors”, says PAM president Annika Rönni-Sällinen.  

According to the PAM members survey in October 2021 the mean salary of workers in the facility services sector was 1837 euros per month. The mean salary of full-time workers was 2064 euros and of part-time workers 1289 euros per month.

“In the sector, especially cleaners suffer from income difficulties caused by low contractual working hours, hurry, and unpredictability of work shifts. We need to find solutions to these issues in the collective agreement negotiations”, Rönni-Sällinen continues.

Many in facility services have part time employment. Of office and hotel cleaners, for example, nearly 40 percent work part-time. About 40 percent of them do so reluctantly, only because there is not full-time employment available.

During the first negotiation meeting the negotiating parties reviewed the economic prospects in the sector. The negotiations continue in a week’s time.

But you can find information and follow the negotiations on PAM:s homepage.