Political strikes

Topics

• Income security
• Membership

The SAK trade unions have announced that they will launch political strikes from Monday 11 March. The political strikes have been announced for two weeks. The strikes may also affect your work.

How does membership of the YTK Unemployment Fund affect you during a strike?  

Membership of the YTK Unemployment Fund has no effect in the event of a strike. 

We are an independent unemployment fund open to all.

The role of unemployment funds is limited by law to the payment of income support and related benefits. Unemployment funds are not parties to industrial action or collective bargaining.

Do you have to take part in a strike?

Everyone can decide for themselves. It is not compulsory, but it is possible.

If you are a member of a trade union and do not take part in a strike, the union may, depending on its rules, terminate your membership of the union. Membership of an unemployment fund cannot be terminated on this basis.

Can I continue to work normally despite the strike?

In general, you can continue working as usual. Your employer will let you know if the strike will affect your work.

Does the YTK unemployment fund pay strike pay? 

No. Unemployment funds are not responsible for paying strike allowances. If you are a member of a trade union, ask them about strike pay.

Can I get daily allowance during a strike?

We cannot pay you earnings-related daily allowance during a strike if you are unemployed as a direct result of the strike. If you are on strike, we cannot pay you earnings-related daily allowance.

Even if you are not on strike but your work is prevented by the strike, we cannot pay you earnings-related daily allowance if the strike is intended to bring about changes in your employment relationship.

We can only pay you an earnings-related daily allowance for the period of the strike if you are indirectly unemployed as a result of the strike and the strike has no connection with your employment relationship. In these situations, your employer may be obliged to pay you up to seven days’ pay. Entitlement to the daily allowance can only start once the employer’s obligation to pay you has ended.

If you are prevented from working because of a strike that does not affect your working conditions and you are applying for unemployment benefit, remember to register as a jobseeker with the TE services no later than the first day of the strike. The Employment Service will issue a statement, which should indicate that you are prevented from working because of the strike or lockout imposed by the employer. When we process your application, we will make a decision on whether or not there is a case of industrial action that does not affect working conditions or does affect working conditions.

In addition, payment is always subject to all the general conditions being met and there being no other obstacles or restrictions. Remember to register as a jobseeker with the TE services and submit your application in good time.

What should I do if I feel pressure to strike?  

Everyone has the right to participate or not in a strike. If you are a member of a trade union and you do not take part in the strike, the union may, depending on its rules, expel you from its membership. Your membership of the unemployment fund is not affected and your membership cannot be terminated on this basis.

If you encounter inappropriate language or treatment, find out whether your employer has a policy on how to deal with such situations. You can also report inappropriate treatment directly to your line manager and the health and safety representative or contact the health and safety department.