Akava in brief
Akava is the confederation of unions for highly educated people and higher education students. We represent the interests of 35 affiliate member organisations and their collective membership of more than six hundred thousand. Our affiliates represent employees as well as self-employed persons and entrepreneurs, but we are also a labour market organisation for students.
Individuals can join our affiliates based on their degree, position or profession. If you are studying at a higher education institution, you can join the union representing your field within Akava already during your studies. Our affiliates collectively have more than 100,000 student members.
Our goal is to achieve a satisfying and stable working life founded on a high level of competence and profitable work. This approach will lead to high employment as well as responsible and strong economic growth.
We work together with negotiation organisations and our affiliates to ensure successful and satisfying careers for Akava members. We contribute to the development of Finnish working life and society in many ways.
Advocacy work on many levels
Individual members of Akava affiliates can influence Akava’s activities and, more broadly, society as a whole through their own union.
We actively express our views on working life and the economy and assert influence on decisions. We propose solutions founded on research-based knowledge. When discussing the development of working life and society, we also introduce new ideas. We are building the Finland of the future.
We are a strong social influence in all our areas of activity together with our member affiliates. We exert influence at the national, regional and international level, both directly as an organisation and through our member affiliates.
Akava has national and international influence
Akava is a negotiating party, a special-interest association and an expert organisation. Our advantage in negotiations and social dialogue is our profound and reliable knowledge base on the role of our members within the labour market and society. Through Akava Works studies and surveys, we collect and produce up-to-date information on changes in working life, employment, the economy and the position of Akava members in working life and society.
We coordinate and develop cooperation between the confederation, negotiation organisations and member affiliates and promote the conditions for joint advocacy and societal influence.
Akava has two negotiating organisations that are responsible for negotiations and agreements on wages and salaries and collective agreements concerning its members. The Negotiation Organisation for Public Sector Professionals (JUKO) operates within the public sector and Federation of Professional and Managerial Staff YTN in the private sector. In addition, the agreements of Akava members are negotiated by the relevant affiliate unions within Akava.
Akava-Åland r.f. is the umbrella association for members of Akava affiliates living in the Åland Islands. Its main task is to negotiate collective agreements for Akava members working in the public sector.
Our domestic supervision of interests is closely linked to international advocacy, where we place our emphasis on work at the European level. We operate through official EU organisations and work actively to influence EU policy, particularly in the areas of working life and higher education.
Membership brings security
Membership in an Akava affiliate provides security through collective agreements, a negotiation system, a network of shop stewards as well as legal and career services. Our affiliates offer professional advocacy and employment counselling as well as networks. They are there for their members at all career stages. In addition, membership offers a wide range of financial benefits.
We are involved in preparing legislation on working life, unemployment and social security, as well as the pension system, which is an integral part of the safety net for working life.
We promote policies that support work and entrepreneurship. Our objective is to help realise a high employment rate, long careers, strong economic growth and the balancing of the national economy. We are involved in reforming systems to ensure that they adapt to the needs of the surrounding society and people.
Who are the Akava affiliates?
Members of Akava affiliates are highly educated experts in their field, working in managerial, expert and teaching positions. Akava members are employed by municipalities, the State and the Church, as well as in the private sector, but many work as entrepreneurs or self-employed professionals.
In 2024, the employers sectors for Akava members were as follows:
- Private sector: 55.5%
- Municipalities: 21.4%
- State: 9.3%
- Wellbeing services counties: 9.1%
- Self-employed professionals: 3.3%
- Church: 1.0%
- Other employers: 0.3%