Finnish Seafarers' Union

Last updated

The Finnish Seafarers' Union (FSU, formerly known as Finnish Seamen's Union; Finnish : Suomen Merimies-Unioni, SMU) [1] [2] is a trade union representing maritime and inland waterway transport workers in Finland.

Contents

The Helsinki Seamen's and Firemen's Union was founded in 1916, and from 1920, it was known as the Finnish Seamen's and Firemen's Union, covering the whole country. It was banned in 1930, but a group of socialist trade unionists immediately founded a new union of the same name, and so the union considers its history to be continuous from 1916. In 1934, it joined the Finnish Federation of Trade Unions (SAK). [3] [4]

In 1938, Niilo Wälläri was elected as the union's president, known for his advocacy of industrial action. Under his leadership the union secured a closed shop for the Finnish Merchant Navy. The union's membership grew, reaching 6,805 by 1955, but in 1956 it resigned from the SAK. Three years later, it was a founding affiliate of the rival Finnish Trade Union Federation (SAJ), and since 1969 it has been affiliated to its successor, the Central Organisation of Finnish Trade Unions. [3] [4] [5]

By 1998, the union had 10,146 members, [3] while in 2020, its membership was about 9,500. [1]

Presidents

1938: Niilo Wallari
1968: Olavi Keitele
1976: Reijo Anttila
1992: Per-Erik Nelin
2000: Simo Zitting

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">World Federation of Trade Unions</span> International trade union federation

The World Federation of Trade Unions (WFTU) is an international federation of trade unions established in 1945. Founded in the immediate aftermath of World War Two, the organization built on the pre-war legacy of the International Federation of Trade Unions as a single structure for trade unions world-wide, following the World Trade Union Conference in London, United Kingdom.

Finnish national income policy agreements or comprehensive income policy agreements are tripartite agreements between Finnish trade unions, employers' organizations, and the Finnish government. They are policy documents covering a wide range of economic and political issues, such as salaries, taxation, pensions, unemployment benefits, and housing costs. They represent collective bargaining taken to its logical maximum, reaching virtually all wage-earners. Their enforcement is made easier by the universal validity of collective labour agreements. However, they are voluntary agreements and are not considered government legislation, i.e. they do not represent central planning of the economy.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Central Organisation of Finnish Trade Unions</span>

The Central Organisation of Finnish Trade Unions, usually referred to by the acronym SAK is the largest trade union confederation in Finland. Its member organisations have a total of more than one million members, which makes up about one fifth of the country's population.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">National Union of Seamen</span> Former trade union of the United Kingdom

The National Union of Seamen (NUS) was the principal trade union of merchant seafarers in the United Kingdom from the late 1880s to 1990. In 1990, the union amalgamated with the National Union of Railwaymen to form the National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers (RMT).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Swedish Transport Workers' Union</span> Trade union in Sweden

The Swedish Transport Worker's Union is a trade union representing workers in the transport industry in Sweden.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Niilo Wälläri</span>

Niilo Frans Wälläri was a Finnish socialist, syndicalist politician. Wälläri led the Finnish Seamen's Union from 1938 until his death.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Seafarers International Union of North America</span> Labor union

The Seafarers International Union or SIU is an organization of 12 autonomous labor unions of mariners, fishermen and boatmen working aboard vessels flagged in the United States or Canada. Michael Sacco was its president from 1988 until 2023. The organization has an estimated 35,498 members and is the largest maritime labor organization in the United States. Organizers founded the union on October 14, 1938. The Seafarers International Union arose from a charter issued to the Sailors Union of the Pacific by the American Federation of Labor as a foil against loss of jobs to the Congress of Industrial Organizations (CIO) and its Communist Party-aligned faction.

The Myanmar Maritime Trade Unions Federation, formerly known as Seafarers Union of Burma (SUB) is a trade union in Myanmar. It represents an estimated 20,000-30,000 workers in the international shipping industry, many of whom work on Flag of Convenience ships and suffer from poor work and pay conditions.

The International Seamen's Union (ISU) was an American maritime trade union which operated from 1892 until 1937. In its last few years, the union effectively split into the National Maritime Union and Seafarer's International Union.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Norwegian Seafarers' Union</span>

The Norwegian Seafarers' Union, NSU, is a trade union representing sailors in Norway.

Left Group of Finnish Workers was a socialist political party in Finland. The party was active in the late 1920s and early 1930s. The group was founded by activists who had previously cooperated with the Communist Party of Finland (SKP). Niilo Wälläri, Eino Pekkala, Erkki Härmä and Kusti Kulo were some of the well-known leaders of the group. The group had supporters mainly in the southern industrial cities of Finland.

The Irish Seamen and Port Workers' Union, an Irish trade union, was founded in 1933.

The Finnish Trade Union Federation was a national trade union centre in Finland.

The Finnish Federation of Trade Unions was a national trade union centre in Finland.

The Union of Clothing Workers was a trade union representing workers in the clothes industry in Finland.

The Finnish General Workers' Union was a general union representing workers in Finland.

The Railway Workers' Union was a trade union representing workers in the railway industry in Finland.

The Joint Organisation of State Employees was a trade union federation bringing together public sector workers in Finland.

The Railway Union is a trade union representing drivers, traffic controllers and office staff on the railways in Finland.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Post and Logistics Union</span> Trade union of Finland

The Post and Logistics Union is a trade union, principally representing postal workers, in Finland.

References

  1. 1 2 "Liitto". Merimies-Unioni. Retrieved 10 March 2020.
  2. "Finnish Seafarers´ Union FSU". Finnish Seafarers' Union. Retrieved 13 January 2021.
  3. 1 2 3 Ebbinghaus, Bernhard; Visser, Jelle (2000). Trade Unions in Western Europe Since 1945. Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan. p. 218. ISBN   0333771125.
  4. 1 2 "Historia". Merimies-Unioni. Retrieved 10 March 2020.
  5. Directory of Labor Organizations, Europe. United States Bureau of Labor Affairs. 1955. pp. 8.7–8.16.