Employers Reject Holiday Bank Idea for Contract Workers
The Confederation of Finnish Industries(EK) has rejected an idea by trade union s for a so-called holiday bank for irregular contract employees. They say implementing the idea would be too expensive.
The idea of a holiday bank for irregular contract employees was first mooted by the Federation of Special Service and Clerical Employees(Erto). It would secure their summer vacation when changing jobs or when the contract expired. Holiday time accrued in one job would follow an employee into another.
EK says the idea would be too costly and require a large bureaucratic apparatus.
As many as 400,000 people in Finland are employed on irregular contracts, many of whom are in the public sector.
In addition to Erto, the white collar STTK union federation has also backed the idea and wants the government to take up the issue.
A annual holiday bank functioned for a time in the construction sector but was rejected as being too difficult to operate. However, the system has successfully worked in Norway for many years.