The Collective Agreement for the Commercial Sector new content – a wider description of the text amendments

Summary of the changes to the Collective Agreement for the Commercial Sector

The agreement will increase salaries and wages by 2.0 per cent as of 1 May 2022. The second year is optional, so the pay rises for 2023 will be agreed by 15 December. If no agreement can be reached concerning pay rises for 2023 by 15 December, the collective agreement may be terminated with effect from 31 January 2023.

The agreement made for the commercial sector applies to the Collective Agreement for the Commercial Sector, the Collective Agreement for Retail Supervisors, the Collective Agreement for Warehouse and Transportation Supervisors, the Collective Agreement Protocol for Salaried IT Employees in the Commercial Sector and the Collective Agreement Protocol for Hankkija Oy.

1. Salary and wage solution and pay rise instructions

The wages paid to every employee in an employment relationship on 30 April 2022 shall be increased by 2.0% as of 1 May 2022.

The pay scale salaries and wages (the minimum salaries and wages for the sector) will also be increased by 2.0% on 1 May 2022.

Bonuses specified in euros and cents will be increased by 2.0% as of 1 May 2022.

The monthly salaries of retail supervisors will be increased by 2.0% on 1 May 2022.

The personal salaries and pay scale salaries of warehouse and transportation supervisors will be increased by 2.0% on 1 May 2022.

The compensation for shop stewards and labour protection delegates will be increased by 2.0% as of 1 May 2022.

Pay scales can be found here.

2. Changes to the text (changes take effect on 1 February 2022 unless otherwise stated)

Above all, changes were made to working time provisions in the Collective Agreement for the Commercial Sector, and the most significant changes are listed here.

•  The 27–52-week averaging period covers part-time employees who work at least 30 hours per week
  The scope of the 27–52-week averaging system was expanded so that, in the future, it may also cover part-time employees who work at least 30 hours per week. Employees who work less than 37.5 hours per week must be paid a proportional monthly salary if the longer averaging period is applied. An agreement is still required in order to introduce a 27–52-week averaging system.

• Derogation from the rule on shifts of less than 4 hours subject to a one-off agreement with the employee
  In the future, employers will be able to make a one-off agreement with an employee to derogate from the provision of the Collective Agreement for the Commercial Sector concerning restrictions on shifts lasting less than 4 hours. It will still be possible to deviate from the restriction on shifts of less than 4 hours for justified reasons.

• Alterations to the time considered as attendance at work in the case of remote meetings
  The employer may decide to deviate from the time considered as attendance at work up to 5 times per calendar year if it is necessary for a meeting or event organised by the employer via a remote connection.

• Minor restrictions on the daily rest period
  The length of the daily rest period will remain 11 hours. However, the employer may make an agreement with an employee on a different daily rest period (in accordance with section 23). In this case, the daily rest period must be at least 9 hours rather than the previous 8 hours. In the future, it will also be possible to make a one-off agreement with an employee on a daily rest period of at least 7 hours.

• Restrictions on days off between night shifts
  Single days off cannot be placed between night shifts unless a one-off agreement is made with the employee to enable it.

• Improvements to consecutive days off
  The provisions of the Collective Agreement for the Commercial Sector concerning days off at the weekend were amended to the effect that the Collective Agreement for the Commercial Sector now refers to consecutive days off. The number of days off at the weekend will remain the same, but in addition to these, employees should be given three extra combinations of consecutive days off.

• Flexibility for the provisions on days off on the eves of public holidays
  In the future, the employer will be able to make an agreement with an employee on different regulations applying to days off on the eves of public holidays. If the employee wants to do a third and/or fourth shift on the eve of a public holiday, the parties can agree that the 100% pay increase does not need to be paid. This does not affect the provisions on bonuses payable for work in the evening before a public holiday – such bonuses should continue to be paid normally.

• Minor adjustments concerning the announcement of a follow-up on working hours and the processing of an averaging system
  The working time provisions were updated to the effect that in the event of a follow-up on working hours, the employer must notify the relevant employees of the time of the follow-up and the period it covers. In addition, if a working time averaging system is in use, the employer and the shop steward must also identify variations in the need for work during the period.

A new arrangement for offering full-time work was also created as part of the collective agreement solution for the commercial sector. The idea behind the model is to increase the amount of full-time work for employees who work fewer than 37.5 hours per week but wish to work full time and reduce the administrative burden on the employer in relation to matters such as following up on the hours worked by a person who works fewer than 37.5 hours per week. The introduction and implementation of the model must be agreed upon in each workplace individually, either with the shop steward or with the relevant group of personnel.

If the model is introduced, the employer undertakes to offer full-time work at the employee’s request to every employee who wants it, provided that the said employees have been employed for at least 12 months. In such cases, during the term of the agreement, the employer does not need to comply with the provisions of the Collective Agreement for the Commercial Sector concerning following up on working hours or the obligation to offer additional work under the Employment Contracts Act insofar as the case concerns hiring a new employee.

The model for offering full-time work will enter into force at a later date. The labour market organisations will also publish joint guidelines for applying the model at a later date.

Note: The wording of the changes to the collective agreement is currently a work in progress, and the wording presented when you follow the link below is not yet final.

3. Collective agreements for supervisors

The changes to the texts concerning retail supervisors are minor in scope. The changes to the collective agreements for supervisors aim to promote matters related to the capacity of supervisors to cope with their everyday work. The changes concern the confirmation of meal breaks, the arrangement of deputies for supervisors, and discussions on the remuneration system that may be used.

The Finnish Commerce Federation and the negotiating association for retail supervisors are carrying out a joint continuation project to promote the occupational wellbeing, coping capacity, and work management skills of supervisors. The project follows on from another project executed in 2020 and 2021.

Note: The wording of the changes to the collective agreement is currently a work in progress, and the wording presented when you follow the link below is not yet final.

Other agreements

• The labour market organisations have agreed on a “Learn and Earn” summer trainee programme for 2022.

• The labour market organisations have agreed on a “Learn and Earn” summer trainee programme for 2022.

• The labour market organisations will implement a pay reform based on skills and performance. The reform will take effect on 1 January 2023, and the labour market organisations will prepare the necessary guidelines by 30 September 2022. Under this system, remuneration would be based on an evaluation of the skills and performance of employees. The system may be introduced by local agreement, and if it is used, it will replace the provisions on pay according to levels of seniority.

• The labour market organisations will establish a training working group to study the effects of digitalisation, automation, multi-channel commerce, and sustainable development on the skills required of employees. The working group will also propose methods for evaluating and enhancing employees’ skills.

• The labour market organisations will set up a new working group to focus on specific issues related to warehousing and logistics in the commercial sector. The working group will follow on from the working group set up in the previous round of collective agreement negotiations and be tasked with studying the impacts of different forms of work and ways of using workers. The working group is tasked with examining specific issues related to warehousing and logistics in the commercial sector with a broader approach.

The timetable for the completion of the collective agreement will be published separately on the Federation’s website.