Membership

Why join a trade union?

Membership in a union is like having insurance – it provides you with protection for your future. Akava’s affiliates assume the responsibility for the membership and guidance of the individual members.

The union membership fee is deductible in your taxation.

There are numerous good and important reasons to join a union. Some view union membership as being important from a social perspective. Some view the matter more in terms of their own personal interests, and consider, for instance, the security offered by union membership in workplace disputes, unemployment benefits or the union’s many other services.

The purpose of unionisation has always been, however, to look after the general good of the employed work force. Unionisation supports employees in the achievement of the goals. The more members the union has, the more efficiently the union is able to promote the objectives of those members. There is strength in numbers!

Improvements to employment benefits

Unions have achieved many significant employment benefits. For example, the four-week annual holiday, the winter holiday, end-of-holiday pay and parental leave may all seem like self-evident aspects of employment, but over the years, hard work has gone into ensuring these benefits for employees.

Akava offers its members

• Field-specific supervision of interests
• Employment security – a shop steward in the workplace, an attorney in your union
• Legal assistance and advice in dispute situations concerning e.g. wages or salaries, employment contracts, overtime work, fixed-term employment conditions or termination of employment
• Unemployment security – as a member of the unemployment fund, all your employment relationships will be included in the period of employment that determines the amount of  earnings-based daily allowance
• Professional guidance related to education, practical training and actual business activities in one’s own field
• Useful professional publications, courses, seminars, training opportunities, and networking
• The opportunity to get involved and influence your future working life
• Bonuses and discounts: insurance policies, fuel discounts, holiday destinations…and much more

The process of entering an employment contract, presenting a suitable salary request, and defending one’s holiday rights is much easier when you have a labour market professional on your side. The attorneys working for Akava affiliates advise members and assist them in all problem situations. The union also provides you with the opportunity to join the unemployment fund, which pays an earnings-based daily allowance if you should become unemployed.

Join already as a student

It is wise to join the union already as a student. Nearly every university student can find a suitable union from among Akava’s affiliates. By joining, as a student, the union that best knows your field of interest, you ensure security and support for the duration of your working life.

The aim of Akava’s student activities is to ensure that university students have access to the appropriate information about working life. A knowledge of the rules of working life will help to support one’s future career and smoothen the transition from studies to employment.

An individual person always joins an Akava affiliate

• Please note that Akava does not have any direct personal members, even though many say that they are a member of Akava.
• An individual person, as well as students, always join an Akava affiliate, thereby making them a member of the central federation as well.

Submit your application online

• Most affiliates have an electronic application form that can be submitted online.