The Finnish Food Workers’ Union SEL is a trade union for the workers of the food industry. Work done by SEL members includes preparing, packing and storing food goods and maintenance and repair work. Union membership is the best way to keep yourself protected in working life and in case of unemployment. Membership of trade union is the best way to protect yourself and your colleagues.
SEL negotiates the collective agreements for all the food workers: workers of bakery, meat processing, dairy, food industry and soft drink and brewery industries. SEL negotiates collective agreements with Finnish Food and Drink Industries’ Federation ETL. Collective agreements define minimum levels of wage and other employment terms such as working time, overtime compensation, holidays, holiday bonus and sick pay for all food industry employees. At the workplace it is possible to agree on terms that are better than the collective agreement, but not worse.
SEL has about 27 000 members of which about 17 000 are at work age. About 64 percent of the food workers are members of SEL. SEL has 59 local union branches. The local union branch is a registered association which organises activities and training.
SEL’s membership fee is 1.4% of your gross salary and it includes also the membership fee of the unemployment fund.
>> 10 reasons to be a member of the union
Union services
SEL negotiates the collective agreements for the workers of the food industry. SEL members can get free advice about wages and other terms of employment from SEL. The shop stewards and the occupational safety representatives are helping the union members at the workplace. The members can get legal aid and the lawyer’s services in work related matters from SEL.
As a SEL member you have access to the union shop steward and occupational safety representative at your own workplace as well as services offered by the union.
SEL provides services to members in all matters related to employment contracts, terms of employment and union membership.
In addition to taking care of members’ interests, the union organises training and leisure time activities and offers membership benefits. As a member of the union you can participate in events of the union and your local union branch, such as SEL cruises and SEL Summer Festivals and Winter Festivals.
>> SEL’s membership benefits (In Finnish)
>> Download SEL member app and mobile membership card to your smartphone
The SEL’s central office is located in Helsinki and seven SEL’s areal offices are located in Helsinki, Turku, Tampere, Lahti, Kuopio, Vaasa and Oulu.
>> Watch a video: Do you work in the food industry? SEL is your union!
>> Recommend a new member to the union and receive a €20 gift card!
>> Check that your wages have been paid correctly
SEL Congress
The SEL Congress, which is held in every five years, is the supreme decision-making body of SEL. The Congress evaluates union’s past actions and plans on future actions. The Congress elects the Union Chairperson, the Union Council and the Union Board. The voting representatives of the Congress are elected by the Union Election.
SEL Council
The SEL Union Council convenes at least twice a year. The Union Council holds the highest decisive authority of the union between the SEL Congresses. The Union Council approves the collective agreements, annual action plan and budget, annual report and financial statements. The Union Council has 33 members.
SEL Board
The SEL Union Board governs according to the statutes and the decisions made by the SEL Congress and the SEL Union Council. The Union Board convenes eight times a year and nominates work groups to support the work of the Board. The Union Board has 17 members. The Union Chairperson is the Chairperson of the Union Board.