Too many employees experience inequality in their working life based on, for example, gender, nationality or sexual orientation. Trade union confederations SAK and Akava, and the Trade Union Solidarity Centre of Finland SASK stress that equality and non-discrimination need constant development within the workplace.
Equality in the workplace means that every member of the work community is equal, regardless of their gender, nationality, age, health, belief, sexual orientation or any other personal attribute.
– Equality is not just a formal plan, but deeds and words transformed into deeds. Every work day should be a discrimination-free Day of Decent Work, reminds Akava’s Senior Advisor Miika Sahamies.
– Bringing up discrimination and equality requires courage from both employees and management. It is the task of the management to show personnel what is allowed and what is not, points out Anu-Tuija Lehto, lawyer at SAK.
The law is not always realised at work
SAK and Akava encourage workplaces to involve the personnel in drafting the plan for the promotion of equality as mandated by the Non-Discrimination Act (1325/2014).
The new Non-Discrimination Act requires larger companies employing over 30 people to draw up the plan as of the start of the year.
– Workplaces often forget to involve the entire personnel in drafting the plan. It is also worrying that many workplaces still have no plan for the promotion of equality, even though it is mandated by law, the trade union confederations stress.
Inequality is visible globally as forced and child labour
In honour of World Day for Decent Work, SASK raises the issue of inequality in the production chains of the products that Finns use. For example, Finnish tax money is used to purchase paving stones, clothes and electronics that are being manufactured under conditions where equality is not realised.
– Child and forced labour are the most blatant examples of inequality, says SASK Communications Officer Katri Blomster.
– We want to show that Finns can address these issues, even though people have thought otherwise.
World Day for Decent Work is being celebrated for the 10th time
World Day for Decent Work will be celebrated on 7 October in over 60 countries. It was first organised in 2008.
The forces behind the Day for Decent Work in Finland are the trade union confederations SAK and Akava and the Trade Union Solidarity Centre in Finland SASK. Globally, the day is coordinated by the International Trade Union Confederation ITUC.
Participate in the day by telling us on social media what makes your day a Day for Decent Work. Is it equality, the coffee break or perhaps wonderful colleagues? Or do you hope for particular improvements in Finland or around the world?
Share your response with the hashtag #kunnontyönpäivä.