The effects of the corona pandemic theme for discussion in PAM's council - Workers pushed to the edge, Christmas causes anxiety
PAM's council meeting was held online this time. Photo: Tero Leponiemi
The corona crisis is affecting both the moods of service workers and the celebration of PAM's 20-year journey. Sirpa Laakso, the chairman of PAM's council, thinks that employees are pushed to the edge in their work.
Sirpa Laakso is not only the chairman of PAM's council but also a shop steward. In her opening speech, she mentioned her concerned about the resilience of employees.
“They are already pushed to the edge, and the upcoming Christmas and Christmas sales feels frightening to them. Growing customer numbers increase the risk of infection”, Laakso said.
This time, the PAM Council will be held entirely by remote meeting. Only the chairmen of the council, the secretary of the meeting and PAM's management team are at PAM's head office in Helsinki and 50 delegates attend the meeting from their home computers.
“Gone is the happy background buzz, the exchange of small talk and, above all, that wonderful feeling of togetherness,” Laakso described the difference to ordinary meetings.
Preparedness for changes
PAM was founded 20 years ago at Finlandia Hall. This was supposed to be a time of celebration, but PAM's council meeting, which was planned to be the ceremonial meeting, only ended up as a remote meeting.
However, the wisdom of uniting unions has been evident even in the struggle with the corona pandemic. The crisis has hit different sectors in different ways - hardest in the tourism and restaurant sector and its workers. The union consisting of several sectors and the Unemployment Fund can cope with such situations financially better compared to organizations operating in only one sector, said PAM President Annika Rönni-Sällinen when speaking at the meeting.
She thought that various changes would continue to also furtheron, but the basic thing would not change.
“I also think that the experience of the hair industry teaches us that in the future we will certainly have to look for different ways and forms to take care of the most important thing, the interests of the members. It is essential that we are present at the workplace and that as many people as possible are involved and also tell their colleagues why it is important to belong to a union", Rönni-Sällinen said.
In the hair industry, the employers' association withdrew from the collective bargaining negotiations two years ago, and last week PAM signed the first company-specific collective agreement for the sector.
PAM's council met on Tuesday. In the meeting the action plan and budget for next year will be discussed, among other things. Prime Minister Sanna Marin also addressed the occasion of PAM's 20th anniversary in the meeting.