Direct Request (CEACR) - adopted 2018, published 108th ILC session (2019)

Paid Educational Leave Convention, 1974 (No. 140) - Finland (Ratification: 1992)

Articles 3 and 4 of the Convention. Measures to promote the granting of paid educational leave. Coordination of general policies with the policy to promote the granting of paid educational leave. The Committee notes the Government’s report in which it indicates that the tripartite working group of the Ministry of Employment and Economy, tasked with discussing the reform of the Study Leave Act, did not reach a consensus and that, therefore, no amendments were made. The Government indicates that it considers the development of employees’ competence important and that, in the long term, it will examine the need to reform legislation relating to study leave and adult training allowances. The Committee notes the amendments to the Act on Adult Training Allowance (1276/2000), which establish, inter alia, the conditions for receiving an adjusted adult training allowance, the maximum time period for receiving such an allowance and the source of financing. In this regard, the Committee takes note of the observations made jointly by the Central Organization of Finnish Trade Unions (SAK), the Finnish Confederation of Salaried Employees (STTK) and the Confederation of Unions for Academic Professionals in Finland (AKAVA), which indicate that the adult education allowance was reduced as of 1 August 2017 by shortening the maximum period for receiving the allowance from 19 months to 15 months, while the basic amount of the allowance was also cut by 15 per cent for all recipients. The Committee notes that the Government ceased financing the basic amount of the adult education allowance for wage earners, leaving the allowance for wage earners to be funded by employees and employers through their unemployment insurance contributions. The SAK, STTK and AKAVA consider this situation to be problematic. The Committee notes that the number of allowance recipients nevertheless grew steadily from 16,085 in 2011 to 35,768 recipients in 2016. Moreover, the legislation to promote the development of professional skills of employees entered into force in 2014, following tripartite consultations in 2013. The Government indicates that the goal of the legislation is to improve employees’ ability to adjust to changes in working life and to prolong careers, as well as to give employers the opportunity to receive a financial incentive for training provided to employees after preparing a training plan. The Committee also takes note of the Act on Financially-Supported Development of Professional Skills (1136/2013) which applies to both private and public sectors. Finally, the Committee notes that the Government provides detailed information showing that the number of adult education subsidy recipients increased from 17,589 in 2014 to 24,356 in 2017, and that the total amount of cash benefits granted increased from €135.9 million in 2014 to €188.3 million in 2017. The Committee requests the Government to continue to provide information on the measures envisaged or adopted to contribute to the attainment of the objectives set out in Article 3 of the Convention, as well as on the manner in which the national policy on paid educational leave is coordinated with general policies concerning employment, education and training, in particular to adapt to the changing needs of the labour market (Article 4).