Freedom of Association
Database 2024

Freedom of Association
Indicator
Freedom of Association
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LRI 2024
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Finland

Freedom of Association Indicator

The Labour Rights Index 2024 (LRI 2024) is a de-jure index covering 145 economies and structured around the working lifespan of a worker. In total, 46 questions or evaluation criteria are scored across 10 indicators. The overall score is calculated by taking the average of each indicator, with 100 being the highest possible score. The Index uses a rating system, ranging from “Total Lack of Decent Work” to “Decent Work”. The Labour Rights Index aims at an active contribution to the Sustainable Development Goals, by providing necessary (complementary) insights into de jure provisions on issues covered in particular by SDG8 (Decent Jobs), SDG 5 (Gender Equality), SDG 10 (Reduced Inequalities) and SDG 16 (Strong Institutions). The Index is based on national labour legislation, applicable on 1 January 2024.

Finland’s overall score is 94 out of 100. The overall score for Finland is greater than the regional average observed across Western Europe (92). Within the Western Europe, the highest score is observed for Belgium (95.5).

Finland ratified Convention No. 87 on Freedom of Association and Protection of the Right to Organise (1948) in 1950 and Convention No. 98 on the Right to Organise and Collective Bargaining (1949) in 1951.

Labour Rights Index 2024

94/100

LRI Country Score

100/100

Freedom of Association Indicator

58.83 %

Trade union density rate (%)

89.2 %

Collective bargaining coverage rate (%)

0

SDG indicator 8.8.2

2

ITUC Global Rights Index 2024 Ratings

Question

Answer

Score

Legal Basis

More Info

Does the law allow workers to form and join unions of their own choice?

Yes

1

§13 of Finnish Constitution 1999; §1(Chap. 13), Employment Contracts Act

Does the law allow workers to bargain collectively with employers through their representative unions?

Yes

1

Collective Agreement Act 1946

Does the law provide for the right to strike?

Yes

1

Collective Agreements Act 1946; Act on Mediation in Labour Disputes 1962

Does the law prohibit imposing of excessive sanctions against striking workers?

Yes

1

§2(2) of Chap. 7 of the Employment Contracts Act (55/2001)

A

Textual sources

A : National Law

National Labour Legislation

B : CEACR

CEACR: ILO Committee of Experts on Application of Conventions and Recommendations (latest report)

C : ITUC

ITUC: ITUC Global Rights Index

D : USDOS

USDOS: US Department of States' Country Reports on Human Rights Practices

LRI Country Score
The Labour Rights Index has 10 indicators and 46 sub-indicators. The LRI Country score averages 10 indicators and ranges between 0 and 100. The lowest and highest scorers are Nigeria (29/100) and Belgium/Greece (96/100). https://labourrightsindex.org/  

Freedom of Association Indicator
The Freedom of Association indicator is composed of 4 sub-indicators. Scoring is done through the binary method (0 or 1). The score ranges between 0-100. 

Trade union density rate (%)
The trade union density rate conveys the number of union members who are employees as a percentage of the total number of employees in the country. For updated statistics on trade union density, please check ILOSTAT. 

Collective bargaining coverage rate (%)
The collective bargaining coverage rate conveys the number of employees whose pay and/or conditions of employment are determined by one or more collective agreement(s) as a percentage of the total number of employees in the country. For updated statistics on collective bargaining coverage, please check ILOSTAT. 

SDG indicator 8.8.2
SDG indicator 8.8.2 measures national compliance with fundamental labour rights (freedom of association and collective bargaining or FACB). It ranges from 0 to 10, with 0 being the best possible score (indicating higher levels of compliance with FACB rights) and 10 the worst (indicating lower levels of compliance with FACB rights). It is based on six ILO supervisory body textual sources and national legislation.
For an updated assessment on SDG indicator 8.8.2, please check ILOSTAT. 

ITUC Global Rights Index 2024 Ratings
The ITUC Global Rights Index depicts the world’s worst countries for workers by rating 148 countries on a scale from 1 to 5+ on the degree of respect for workers’ rights. Violations are recorded each year from April to March.  For a detailed description of ratings and methodology, please follow the link. 

Information

Source: §13 of Finnish Constitution 1999; §1(Chap. 13), Employment Contracts Act

Information

Source: Collective Agreement Act 1946

Information

Source: Collective Agreements Act 1946; Act on Mediation in Labour Disputes 1962

Information

Source: §2(2) of Chap. 7 of the Employment Contracts Act (55/2001)

A : National Law

National Labour Legislation

"Section 2. Termination grounds related to the employee's person Serious breach or neglect of obligations arising from the employment contract or the law and having essential impact on the employment relationship as well as such essential changes in the conditions necessary for working related to the employee's person as render the employee no more able to cope with his or her work duties can be considered a proper and weighty reason for termination arising from the employee or related to the employee's person. The employer's and the employee's overall circumstances must be taken into account when assessing the proper and weighty nature of the reason. At least the following cannot be regarded as proper and weighty reasons: 1) illness, disability or accident affecting the employee, unless working capacity is substantially reduced thereby for such a long term as to render it unreasonable to require that the employer continue the contractual relationship; 19 2) participation of the employee in industrial action arranged by an employee organization or in accordance with the Collective Agreements Act;"