Collective agreement for social and health care personnel or SOTE Agreement

The SOTE agreement is the largest contract area in the welfare sector, covering approximately 181,000 employees. The collective agreement applies to social and health care personnel, and practical nurses are one of the largest occupational groups in the agreement. The agreement defines the terms of employment, such as working hours and pay.

SOTE Agreement 2025–2028

The new collective agreement for social and health care personnel can be found in electronic form in Finnish on the KT website. It’s valid from 1/5/2025 to 29/2/2028.

Pay increases 2025–2028

In 2025, wages are raised by a 2.50% general increase (€53 at the minimum) as of 1/10/2025.

In 2026, wages are raised by a 2.27% general increase as of 1/8/2026 and by a 0.20% local arrangement instalment as of 1/10/2026. A second arrangement instalment, 0.40% of the wages and salaries programme, is also payable at the same time.

In 2027, wages are raised by a 2.0% general increase and a 0.40% local arrangement instalment as of 1/4/2027*. A second arrangement instalment, 0.40% of the wages and salaries programme, is also payable at the same time.

In 2028, the local arrangement instalment amounts to 1.0% and applies as of 1/2/2028.

In addition to these increases, the instalments agreed in the 2022 SOTE agreement for 2025 is paid:

• A local instalment of 0.8% on 1 June 2025.
• The 2% local installment due on November 1, 2025, will be postponed to September 30, 2026 (the original payment date was June 1, 2025).
  • A salary supplement of 2% will be paid no later than 1 October 2026.
  • The salary supplement will be paid in December 2025, as well as in January, April, July and October 2026.
• The new pay system will be introduced no later than 1 October 2026, at which point the local instalment of 2.0% will be paid.
• A single instalment (€140) is paid with the payroll of August 2025.

*The wage increases for 2027 have been tied to the Technology Industries of Finland collective agreement in so far as the termination of the said agreement for the third year resulting in changes to the wage increases for the last year of the said agreement shall proportionately also change the wage increases for 2027 of this agreement. The said provision does not apply to the wage increase pursuant to the wages and salaries programme.

Text amendments

The full settlement includes improvements to working conditions as well. To improve the balance between work and family life, a paid breastfeeding break is introduced and the provision on temporary care leave is reformed. In the future, a pregnant person may discontinue their study leave and resume it later. Temporary provisions on period-based work were made permanent. A night work trial will be prepared during the agreement term. An agreement was reached on the compensation for essential work and emergency work done during labour disputes.

Links

Newsletter: Negotiation result for municipalities and wellbeing services

Wage increases 2025 to 2028 (in Finnish)

SOTE Agreement 2022–2025

The SOTE Agreement, which entered into force on 1 September 2021, separated social and health care personnel employed in wellbeing services counties into its own contract field. The agreement focusing on the working conditions of health and social services personnel makes it significantly easier to find solutions to sectoral problems in social and health care, which had been a challenge in the previous very multidisciplinary general municipal agreement.

The collective agreement for social and health care personnel can be found in electronic form in Finnish on the KT website.