Unprecedented split in committee as chairs submit dissenting opinion on fixed-term contract law

A rare division has emerged in Finland’s parliamentary Constitutional Law Committee after its chair and vice-chair broke ranks to submit a dissenting opinion on a government proposal to ease restrictions on fixed-term employment contracts, reports national broadcaster Yle.

The committee finalised its statement on the proposed law, which would allow fixed-term contracts of up to one year without justification—currently, such contracts require a valid reason. While the majority of the committee warned the reform could weaken the labour market position of young women in particular, the two chairs from governing parties rejected this assessment.

Committee chair Heikki Autto (National Coalition Party) and vice-chair Onni Rostila (Finns Party) argued in their dissent that the proposal complies with constitutional equality provisions. Their stance contrasts sharply with the committee majority, which emphasised that the reform risks undermining protections against pregnancy and family-leave discrimination—issues already disproportionately affecting women.

The committee’s statement acknowledges no constitutional barrier to passing the law but stresses that its gendered impacts must be closely monitored. Should the predicted negative effects on women’s employment materialise, the statement urges “corrective measures.” The opposition Social Democratic Party (SDP) and Left Alliance, meanwhile, demanded substantial revisions to the bill in their own dissenting opinions.

Criticism of the proposal has also surfaced within the governing coalition. In early March, women’s organisations from all four ruling parties—including Autto’s and Rostila’s—called for the bill to be withdrawn, citing heightened risks of discrimination tied to pregnancy and parental leave. Labour Minister Matias Marttinen (National Coalition Party) later amended the draft to limit unjustified fixed-term contracts to one per employee (down from three) and extend the gap between such contracts to five years (from two).

The Constitutional Law Committee’s statement will now advance to the Employment and Equality Committee, which requested the review in March following expert recommendations. The government has framed the reform as a measure to lower hiring thresholds for employers.