Negotiation Culture: National Conciliator Gives Harsh Assessment of Unions' Actions – How Unions Respond

Anu Sajavaara, Finland's national conciliator who is set to step down in August, has delivered a sharp critique of the negotiation culture among Finnish labor market parties. In a recent interview, Sajavaara accused both employee and employer organizations of engaging in mutual "spying," "intentional misunderstanding," and adopting a "tough guy" stance.

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If the motive in strikes and labor disputes were only to appear tough, it would be very expensive acting.

Ismo Kokko, chairman of the AKT transport workers' union, dismissed the "tough guy" accusation as far-fetched, arguing that such posturing would be prohibitively expensive if it were the sole motive behind strikes. Kokko also suggested that Sajavaara's tenure has followed a pattern of favoring employers in negotiations, a sentiment echoed by some other labor organizations who have accused her of bias.

Tuomas Aarto, CEO of Palta, which represents service sector employers, agreed with Sajavaara that the negotiation culture has deteriorated. He noted that parties are more uncompromising, making disputes harder to resolve. Aarto, who has 26 years of experience in labor negotiations, observed that respect for the conciliator institution has waned, with proposals once taken more seriously now often disregarded.

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In the interview, Sajavaara certainly had criticism for the organizations, but I didn't sense much self-criticism.

Hanne Salonen, labor market director at Sivista, which represents private education employers, expressed concern over the increasing personalization and polarization of labor market discussions. She described the personal attacks and the search for hidden agendas against people doing their jobs as "repugnant."

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It is of course unfortunate that these old issues that complicate negotiation processes still occur.

Sajavaara also identified high turnover among negotiators as a growing problem. While Sivista does not suffer from this trend according to Salonen, she acknowledged the broader issue, suggesting that the work can be "unsatisfactory and slow drudgery" for younger individuals, especially when it leads to public criticism.

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The targeting of people doing their jobs has become more common, and I find it repugnant.