title: Central Organisation of Finnish Trade Unions
text: # Central Organisation of Finnish Trade Unions
  
  The Central Organisation of Finnish Trade Unions, usually referred to by the acronym SAK (Finnish: Suomen Ammattiliittojen Keskusjärjestö; Swedish: Finlands Fackförbunds Centralorganisation, FFC) is the largest trade union confederation in Finland. Its member organisations have a total of more than one million members, which makes up about one fifth of the country's population.
  
  ## History
  
  The other two Finnish trade unions confederations are the Finnish Confederation of Salaried Employees (STTK) and the Confederation of Unions for Academic Professionals in Finland (AKAVA). The most important negotiating partner of SAK is the Elinkeinoelämän keskusliitto/Finlands Näringsliv (the Confederation of Finnish Industries, EK), which represents the majority of Finnish employers.
  
  The current SAK was founded in 1969 as the Finnish Federation of Trade Unions (SAK 1930–1969), controlled by SKDL and TPSL, and the Finnish Trade Union Federation (SAJ 1960–1969), controlled by SDP, settled their disputes and merged. The SAK, however, considers itself the continuation of the first Finnish central organisation, the Finnish Trade Union Federation (SAJ 1907–1930).
  
  The SAK is generally supportive of the Social Democratic Party, and has spent money on advertisements backing the party. In 2007, advertisements it placed on behalf of the SDP were found to be defaming, leading the SAK to withdraw them.
  
  ## Member unions
  
  ### Current
  
  | Union | Abbreviation | Founded | Affiliated | Membership (2020) |
  | - | - | - | - | - |
  | Aviation Union | IAU | 1969 | 1969 | 3,939 |
  | Non Commissioned Officers Union* | Aliupseeriliitto | 1966 | | 3,282 |
  | Border Security Union* | RTU | 2010 | 2010 | 2,540 |
  | Construction Trade Union | Rakennusliitto | 1924 | 1969 | 69,060 |
  | Customs Union* | Tulliliitto | 1906 | | 882 |
  | Finnish Electrical Workers' Union | Sähköliitto | 1955 | 1969 | 34,663 |
  | Finnish Elite Athletes' Union | SHU | 2002 | 2012 | 1,625 |
  | Finnish Food Workers' Union | SEL | 1932 | 1969 | 30,047 |
  | Finnish Musicians' Union | Muusikkojenliitto | 1917 | 1974 | 3,605 |
  | Finnish Seafarers' Union | SM-U | 1916 | 1969 | 9,056 |
  | Finnish Social Democratic Journalists' Union | SSSL | 1907 | 1969 | 271 |
  | Finnish Transport Workers' Union | AKT | 1970 | 1970 | 43,509 |
  | General Union of Journalists | YLL | 1947 | | 173 |
  | Industrial Union | Teollisuusliitto | 2018 | 2018 | 211,801 |
  | Paperworkers' Union | Paperiliitto | 1906 | 1969 | 33,826 |
  | Post and Logistics Union | PAU | 2005 | 2005 | 25,004 |
  | Prison Officers' Union* | VVL | 1895 | 1969 | 1,354 |
  | Public and Welfare Services Union | JHL | 2005 | 2005 | 181,881 |
  | Railway Union | RAU | 2018 | 2018 | 3,853 |
  | Service Union United | PAM | 2000 | 2000 | 207,334 |
  | Trade Union for Theatre and Media | TeMe | 1973 | 2007 | 5,007 |
  | Union of Foremen in Commerce* | KEY | | | 7,901 |
  
  * Unions marked with "*" are affiliated to the SAK through another union, but their membership is counted separately.
  
  ### Former
  
  | Union | Abbreviation | Founded | Affiliated | Reason not affiliated | Year |
  | - | - | - | - | - | - |
  | Air Transport Union | | 1957 | 1969 | Merged into IAU | 1969 |
  | Automobile and Machinery Union | AKU | | ? | Merged into Metalli | 2003 |
  | Automobile and Transport Workers' Union | | ? | 1969 | Merged into AKT | 1970 |
  | Business Union | | 1987 | 1987 | Merged into PAM | 2000 |
  | Caretakers' Union | KL | 1948 | 1969 | Merged into PAM | 2000 |
  | Chemical Union | Kemia | 1993 | 1993 | Merged into TEAM | 2009 |
  | Chemical Workers' Union | KTL | 1970 | 1970 | Merged into Kemia | 1993 |
  | Commercial Workers' Union | | 1917 | 1969 | Merged into Business Union | 1987 |
  | Finnish Air Transport Union | | | 1969 | Merged into IAU | 1969 |
  | Finnish Automobile Workers' Union | | 1960 | 1969 | Merged into AKT | 1970 |
  | Finnish Bricklayers' Union | | 1905 | 1969 | Merged into Construction Trade Union | 1971 |
  | Finnish Cabin Crew Union | SLSY | | 2002 | Merged into AKT | 2015 |
  | Finnish Divers' Union | | 1906 | 1969 | Merged into Construction Trade Union | 1969 |
  | Finnish Glass and Porcelain Workers' Union | | 1907 | 1969 | Merged into Kemia | 1994 |
  | Finnish Media Union | VA | 1894 | 1969 | Merged into TEAM | 2009 |
  | Finnish Miners' Union | | | 1969 | Merged into Metalli | 1969 |
  | Finnish Police Union | SPJL | 1923 | 1969 | Resigned | 1984 |
  | Finnish Port Workers' Union | | | 1969 | Merged into AKT | 1970 |
  | Finnish Ships' Officers' Union | SLPL | 1905 | 1972 | Transferred to STTK | 1989 |
  | Finnish Textile Mechanics' Union | | | 1969 | Merged into Teva | 1989 |
  | Finnish General Workers' Union | | 1930 | 1969 | Merged into Kemia | 1970 |
  | General and Speciality Workers' Union | YEA | 1960 | 1969 | Merged into Kemia and SEL | 1970 |
  | Hotel and Restaurant Workers' Union | HRHL | 1933 | 1969 | Merged into PAM | 2000 |
  | Industrial Union TEAM | TEAM | 2010 | 2010 | Merged into Industrial Union | 2017 |
  | Joint Organisation of State Employees | VTY | 1921 | 1969 | Merged into JHL | 2005 |
  | Journalist Union | | 1947 | 1969 | ? | ? |
  | Mental Health and Disability Union | | | 1969 | Merged into KTV | 1981 |
  | Metalworkers' Union | Metalli | 1930 | 1969 | Merged into Industrial Union | 2017 |
  | Municipal and Hospital Workers' Union | | 1963 | 1969 | Merged into KTV | 1971 |
  | Municipal Workers' Union | KTV | 1931 | 1969 | Merged into JHL | 2005 |
  | Organisation of State Employees | | | 1969 | ? | ? |
  | Postal Officers' Union | | 1894 | 2003 | Merged into PAU | 2005 |
  | Postal Union | | 1906 | 1969 | Merged into PAU | 2005 |
  | Precious Metal Workers' Union | | 1906 | 1969 | Merged into Metalli | 1974 |
  | Railway Salaried Staff's Union | | | | Merged into RAU | 2018 |
  | Railway Workers' Union | RAUTL | 1930 | 1996 | Merged into JHL | 2011 |
  | Rubber and Leather Workers' Union | KNL | 1930 | 1969 | Merged into Kemia | 1993 |
  | Rural Workers' Union | SML | 1945 | 1969 | Merged into PEL | 1993 |
  | Technical and Special Trades Union | Tekeri | 1970 | 1970 | Merged into PAM | 2000 |
  | Textile and Clothing Workers' Union | Teva | 1971 | 1971 | Merged into Kemia | 2004 |
  | Textile Workers' Union | | 1960 | 1969 | Merged into Teva | 1970 |
  | Union of Locomotive Drivers | VML | 1897 | 1995 | Merged into RAU | 2018 |
  | Union of Organising Officers | JTL | | | | 1996 |
  | Wood and Allied Workers' Union | PEL | 1993 | 1993 | Merged into Industrial Union | 2017 |
  | Wood Workers' Federation | PTTL | 1960 | 1969 | Merged into SPL | 1973 |
  | Wood Workers' Union | SPL | 1930 | 1969 | Merged into PEL | 1993 |
  
  ## Presidents
  
      1969: Niilo Hämäläinen
      1974: Pekka Oivio
      1981: Pertti Viinanen
      1990: Lauri Ihalainen
      2009: Lauri Lyly
      2016: Jarkko Eloranta
  