Trade union Tehy criticizes delayed salary increases for healthcare workers in Central Ostrobothnia, Finland

The delay in salary increases for employees of the Central Ostrobothnia welfare area has prompted a strong reaction from the trade union Tehy, which claims that the raises for healthcare workers were postponed for an unacceptable duration. Employees have publicly criticized the delay in receiving their salary increases. Approximately 3,000 employees of Soite, the welfare area in question, waited over two and a half months for their raises, stretching over the summer months.

According to Soite’s interim HR director Helinä Saarela, they adhered to the collective labor agreement but acknowledge there are areas needing improvement. The delay, she explained, was due to a significant wage structure reform being finalized by midsummer, which had to be negotiated before the new salaries could be adjusted with the collective agreement increases. “In hindsight, salary increases could have been paid on top of the previous salaries, but that would have been a massive task for payroll processing,” Saarela stated.

Tehy’s managing director Else-Mai Kirvesniemi commented that the employer has acted against the collective agreement by making these raises late, which she described as highly unusual. “In most cases, employers handle these matters on time,” she added.

Soite’s chief representative Toni Korkiala noted that the collective agreement clearly states when the general raise should be paid—by June 1. However, the payments were only made on August 30. He expressed concern over claims of payment issues, emphasizing that Soite had the capabilities to manage the process efficiently prior to becoming a welfare area.

Despite the frustrations stemming from this delay, both Korkiala and Saarela affirmed that the relationship between employees and management remains strong, with open lines of communication. Some healthcare workers are also seeking interest for the late payments, emphasizing that while financial compensation is welcome, it does not fully address the principle of timely payment. The total amount owed for the delayed raises for the 3,000 employees approached 1.5 million euros, including adjustments related to the wage structure reform.