The salaries of food industry workers will increase by 3.5% on 1 June 2023 and by 2.3% on 1 April 2024. In addition, a one-time payment of 400 euros will be paid in May 2023.
On 13th of February 2023, The Finnish Food Workers’ Union SEL and the Finnish Food Industries’ Union ETL approved new collective agreements for food industry workers for a two-year term of agreement from 13 February 2023 to 31 January 2025.
The SEL Council approved the results of the negotiations on new collective agreements by a vote of 27–5.
– We can be relatively satisfied with the new collective agreements we have reached in a difficult environment. Workers in the food industry will receive wage increases comparable to those of the export industry. Wage increases will not completely compensate for the impact of inflation, but it is important that the increases come to all food industry employees and stop the decline in the purchasing power of employees, says SEL Chairperson Veli-Matti Kuntonen.
The salaries of all food industry employees will be increased by a general rate of 3.5% on 1 June 2023 or from the beginning of the pay period starting after that. Salary increases will not include local items.
In addition, a one-off payment of EUR 400 will be paid to the employees in their May 2023 salary. This lump sum will be paid only to those employees whose uninterrupted employment relationship has commenced no later than on 1 February 2023 and is valid on the date of payment of the lump sum. For a part-time employee, the amount of the one-time payment will be calculated in proportion to the agreed working hours and full working hours.
In 2024, the wages and salaries of all food industry employees will be increased by a general rate of 2.3% on 1 April 2024 or from the beginning of the pay period starting after that.
Basic salaries will be increased by a percentage corresponding to the general increase from the date of the general increase or principally from the beginning of the pay period following the general increase.
SEL and ETL have agreed on five new universally binding collective agreements: a collective agreement for bakery workers, a collective agreement for meat workers, a collective agreement for dairy workers, a collective agreement for food workers and a collective agreement for brewery and soft drinks workers.
Several changes were made to the collective agreements, some of which concern all collective agreements and some only one collective agreement.
SEL and ETL also set up four working groups: a collective agreement clarification working group, a salary working group, a working group for the development of work ergonomics and occupational safety, and an apprenticeship working group.
All changes to the new collective agreements can be found in Finnish in the signature protocols at www.selry.fi/tes