Generally applicable collective agreements
Collective agreements are often generally applicable. This means that the employer has to follow the stipulations the generally applicable collective agreement lays in the sector in question as minimum terms of employment to be applied in employment relationships.
According to the Employment Contacts Act, employers should observe at least the provisions of a national collective agreement considered representative in the relevant sector (a generally applicable collective agreement).
Confirmation of the General Applicability of Collective Agreements
The Committee for Confirming the General Applicability of Collective Agreements verifies whether a national collective agreement is representative. The committee operates in connection with the ministry.
The Department for Work and Gender Equality within the MSAH prepares the cases for the committee and attends to documents that are needed for case hearings.
The committee publishes its decisions and collective agreements confirmed as generally applicable on the public data network, the Finlex Data Bank.
Obligation to supply documents to the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health
Parties to a national collective agreement shall provide the agreement and additional information within one month of the date on which the agreement was signed.
Employer party to the collective agreement shall deliver the agreement electronically to the ministry because collective agreement confirmed as generally applicable shall be published in public data network.
Additionally, an employer party to a national collective agreement must provide the ministry information on its employed members to the collective agreements that apply to their employment relationships.
The information should be sent by email to: [email protected]