As a foreigner living in Finland, you get used to the standard flowchart of conversation upon meeting someone new. Coming from England, after answering where I am from, I know to expect the follow-up of ”which football team?” There is then the third common question – ”why Finland?”
Whether moving for studies or work, international experts have a choice of countries to live in. Inevitably, they will choose one that fits their ideals, if not in the initial move, then in the decision to stay or go when things get tough.
For Finland, these ideals include the ability to lead a balanced, healthy work life, with respect for your personal time. They include the chance to live in a fair and safe society, and to be surrounded by people also maximizing the collective good over individual gain.
To people like me, these outweigh the benefits other countries offer, they outweigh the areas that Finland is weaker in. In Finland, you will never earn the most money, learn the easiest language or live in the warmest weather, but you will have those.
As trade unions, we are perhaps guilty of underselling our role in this. Concepts like the importance of a healthy work-life balance are not something that grow exclusively on Finnish trees, spreading to all like the pollen of Spring’s enthusiastic birch trees. They are conditions that must be fought for, and in negotiations and advocacy, it is trade unions doing this fight. We are the backbone to a high-quality working life.
The proposed removal of the tax exemption from trade union fees is the latest in a string of policies to weaken the organization of workers and the power of trade unions in Finland. Together, they represent the opposite of those ideals that attract people to Finland. They aim to sacrifice collective good for individual gain.
At a time when Finland is desperate to attract talent, anti-union policies threaten to weaken the very thing that makes Finland a country worth choosing. Moreso, together with anti-immigrant policies and rhetoric, they worsen the lives of those already here. That won’t just lead to the loss of individuals, but of whole families.
For many reading this, Finland may already not feel so great. In factors such as discrimination, integration and opportunities, we know that the situation is not equal for all. This is exactly the reason why strong trade unions are important, why we must continue to grow.
To build an attractive Finland, we must embrace our strengths, not weaken them.
Writer works at TEK as a Project Manager for International Experts
Instagram: @tekforall
