SuPer advocates for the rights and interests of its members in the EU – What does it mean for your everyday life?
Did you know that many of the laws and rights that apply to your work and working life are not created in the Finnish Parliament, but in Brussels? Many of the laws that affect our daily lives are prepared and decided in the European Union.
The EU holds significant legislative power, and one of its most impactful tools is directives. Directives refer to obligations that Member States, such as Finland, must implement in their own legislation. When a new working life directive is adopted in the EU, it can have a direct impact on Finnish workplaces — including yours.
SuPer brings the voice of a Finnish practical nurse to Brussels
Directives affecting our members’ work are often through cross-sector collaboration, for example in social dialogue committees. (You can read more about social dialogue committees and SuPer’s international advocacy work here.) SuPer works to influence the content of these directives early in the process, together with Finnish and European unions through the European Federation of Public Service Unions (EPSU).
Our goal is to ensure that the perspective of the Finnish social welfare and health care professional is taken into account in every decision.
Even though EU politics may feel distant, its effects are present in our everyday lives. For example, directives can influence:
- working hours and vacations
- distribution of family leaves
- occupational safety, such as prevention of needlestick injuries and prevention of needlestick injuries
- pay transparency.
Currently, SuPer is advocating for the adoption of an EU directive on psychosocial risks. This directive would support wellbeing, especially for professionals in social care, healthcare, and early childhood education and care.
International advocacy is about supporting your everyday life
When we look after your interests at the EU level, it’s not about distant or abstract issues — it’s about real, tangible actions that affect your job. Your work, your rights and your well-being are at the core of SuPer’s international advocacy efforts.
“Currently, SuPer is advocating for the adoption of an EU directive on psychosocial risks.”
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