The cooperation initiative carried out by five trade unions is called #Monimuotoinen. The initiative was awarded Pro’s equality award 2025. The award was presented in Helsinki on 20 October 2025.
The most visible part of the of #Monimuotoinen initiative is the website www.monimuotoinen.fi, which includes a collection of materials related to equality in the working life, such as a family-friendly workplace and multicultural work communities. The initiative also organises short webinars, among other things.
The award consists of diplomas to all members of the initiative’s working group. Academic Engineers and Architects in Finland TEK is represented in the working group by Work Life Expert Sirkku Pohja as well as Regional Advisor Mia Adolfsson, who is also the Head Negotiator and responsible person for the chemical industry collective agreement. The working group also includes Mari Tuomaala and Jenni Uljas from The Industrial Union, Taru Reinikainen and Piia Säkkinen from Trade Union Pro, Eeva Salmi from The Union of Professional Engineers in Finland and Aaro Riitakorpi from The Union of Professionals in Natural, Environmental and Forestry Sciences Loimu.
“The award is important and motivates us to pursue the union cooperation even further. Union cooperation is very important. It is a prerequisite for the development of working life within the context of diversity and equality,” says Sirkku Pohja from TEK.
“Personally, I hope that the website conveys brotherly love. Our door is open for new cooperation partners. For example, we have discussed collaborating with The Centre for Occupational Safety,” says Mia Adolfsson from TEK.
“As inequality keeps increasing in society, this award is significant in terms of eradicating inequality in the working life,” adds Pohja.
From chemistry to everyone
The award-winning #Monimuotoinen website got started in April 2024 as an initiative of Trade Union Pro, The Industrial Union and The Federation of Professional and Managerial Staff YTN within the chemical sectors. TEK, The Union of Professional Engineers in Finland and Loimu are YTN’s member unions and negotiate collective agreements for professional and managerial staff in the private sector through YTN.
Even though #Monimuotoinen is an initiative by the chemical industry, its contents are meant to be used by everyone.
“The website uses language that is as easy as possible, explains terminology and considers accessibility. The website is also available in Finnish, English and Swedish,” says Sirkku Pohja.
Employers and supervisors can also benefit from the materials. For example, the website has a section on leading diversity.
The website will have recordings of short webinars held by the initiative. Each webinar has its own diversity-related topic. The latest themes (in Finnish) were care responsibility for an elderly relative (5 November 2025) and pay transparency and job satisfaction (15 October 2025).
“We hope that the website will be used for learning and initiating conversations as well as hopefully also as a tool for drafting, updating and assessing diversity plans,” says Pohja.
Everyone can have an impact
Mia Adolfsson thinks that we can all create a better working life – and life, in general – through our acts and words.
“Make an impact in the situations and positions you are in. For example, if you are part of a board or working group or involved in municipal politics or an association, you can emphasise the cornerstones of a good working life in the discussions.”
During her free time, Adolfsson is an active handball mom and spectator. She says that even sports club volunteers can utilise the materials on the #Monimuotoinen website to increase a sense of community.
“In simple terms, you can think about how to involve everyone and make all participants feel welcome. The better the teamwork, the more likely it is that the team will play as a tight unit and produce results in the long term,” says Adolfsson.
“This is just as important in sports clubs as it is at work,” she says as a summary.
What award?
Each year, Trade Union Pro awards an equality act in the working life. The recipient of the award is selected by the Board of Trade Union Pro.