The number of student members registered in Akava affiliates increased by 1,634 new members. The total is now 117,482 student members, which represents 19 per cent of Akava’s entire membership. Akava’s 36 affiliates currently have a combined membership of 608,290 members. The total number of members decreased by 949 as compared to the previous year.
“Akava’s membership remained stable. I am glad that the activities of our unions are drawing the interest of young people. It is extremely important for Akava to serve as a trade union confederation of experts and agents of influence, now and in the future. Today’s young people are faced with the challenging task of facilitating and maintaining our welfare society in the future. We should listen very carefully to what they have to say,” states Sture Fjäder, President of Akava.
Akava’s membership is comprised of all the paying members and members who are exempt from paying the membership fees within its affiliate unions. Those who are exempt from paying the membership fees are generally students and pensioners. The number of paying members remained nearly the same, totalling 429,978. This is 71 members fewer than the previous year.
The most relative growth occurred among Akava nurses and Taja, whose membership increased by 14 per cent. The second highest increase (5 per cent) in proportion to union membership was experienced by YTY – Association for Managers and Professionals. The third highest increase (4 per cent) was seen in Talentia Union of Professional Social Workers. In terms of the number of overall members, the highest increase was experienced by the Union of Professional Engineers in Finland, whose membership increased by 1,468 new members during 2018. The Union of Professional Business Graduates in Finland TRAL saw the greatest increase in paying members, with an increase of 2,292.
