Agreement reached for the private healthcare sector – pay settlement follows the general line
Sote, the negotiating organisation for the healthcare and social services sector (SuPer, Tehy and Erto), and the employers’ association the Finnish Association of Private Care Providers, have approved a negotiating outcome for the private healthcare sector collective agreement. Under the new collective agreement, salary increases will be determined in accordance with the so-called general line.
The agreement period runs from 1 May 2026 to 30 April 2028.
“We have found a solution that boosts purchasing power, which is a positive development in the current social climate. We will continue to work actively to improve pay, working conditions and the sector’s attractiveness,” says Päivi Inberg, SuPer’s President.
“The negotiations were difficult and we are pleased that a solution was reached through negotiation. It is important to continue developing the pay system so that it better reflects job demands in a way that is fair to all occupational groups. Clarifying the collective agreement and focusing on coping at work and workplace well-being also demonstrate our shared commitment to advancing the sector,” says Pia Zaerens, SuPer’s chief negotiator for the private sector.
Pay settlement under the collective agreement for the health services sector
The agreement period runs from 1 May 2026 to 30 April 2028, a total of 24 months.
In January 2027, the parties will review how the objectives of the agreement have been achieved and assess the economic and employment outlook. Either party may terminate the collective agreement to end on 30 April 2027.
Pay increases in 2026
- 1 September 2026: general and pay scale increase of 2.22%
- 1 September 2026: an additional 0.7% pay scale increase for demand group 3 (including practical nurses)
- 1 December 2026: local instalment of 0.6%
- 1 December 2026: single instalment of €183
Pay increases in 2027
- 1 August 2027: general and pay scale increase of 2.0%
- 1 August 2027: local instalment of 0.4%
Provisions for promoting equality and well-being
The comprehensive solution also includes improvements to on-call pay, special factor increments and holiday pay for gig workers, as well as to the calculation of overtime in period-based work.
Employees will continue to be entitled to salary during maternity and/or parental leave if they take family leave while on study leave as provided in the Study Leave Act, just as they would have been while at work.
The negotiating parties have agreed to establish three working groups to monitor and assess well-being at work, pay trends within the sector and the competitiveness of the pay system, as well as the impact of changes and clarifications to the collective agreement on everyday working life.
The agreement covers approximately 25,000 employees. The collective agreement is negotiated between Sote ry (SuPer, Tehy and Erto) and the Finnish Association of Private Care Providers.
The collective agreement for the health services sector is generally binding, which means that even employers that are not members of the employers’ association must comply with it. The collective agreement therefore sets the minimum terms and conditions that must be observed at all workplaces in the sector.
Published in English 18.5.2026.