PAM’s Council meeting: Harsh criticism for Sipilä government and the scheming of business owners
PAM's Council is meeting in Helsinki 16 an 17 May, 2018. In the picture PAM's Council Chairman Sirpa Laakso.
PAM Council Chairman Sirpa Laakso has no mercy for the Sipilä government, which over the last year has penalised the poor and trampled on human dignity in order to cosy up to fatcat managers. She blasts the proposal by the Federation of Finnish Enterprises to pay the membership fee of the YTK General unemployment fund on behalf of employees.
In her opening speech, Council Chairman and regional shop steward of Hämeenmaa Cooperative Sirpa Laakso severely criticised the actions of the Sipilä government and hoped that at the next parliamentary elections the people will elect members of parliament who understand working life and workers’ day-to-day reality.
In her opinion, the government’s actions have been like the rapid twists and turns of a drama.
“Looking back over the parliamentary term, workers and unions have gone through considerable turbulence. The government is penalising the poor and low-income individuals. They are riding roughshod over human dignity in order to cosy up to fatcat managers”, Laakso said.
In particular, Laakso does not care for the active model of unemployment security that came into force at the start of the year and weakens the position of the unemployed.
“The active model, which the Minister of Labour is so keen on, was sold to the unemployed as a treat, but it turned out to be rotten. It has meant cuts, and how can an unemployed person apply for jobs if there are none?”, Laakso asked the Council meeting delegates.
Pentikäinen’s proposal on YTK membership fees a shock
Last week’s proposal by the Federation of Finnish Enterprises to pay YTK membership fees on behalf of employees came as a shock to Laakso. In her opinion this is an attack directed against the trade unions that discriminates between workers.
“As I see it, it would better for Pentikäinen to use his brainwaves to improve Finnish business life and create jobs together with employees. Now this idea will only create bigger divisions in that cooperation, Laakso states.
PAM’s Council is currently meeting in Helsinki for its regular spring meeting. Among other things, the meeting will decide on the annual accounts and activity report for 2017.