The Finnish Seamen’s Union represents over 10,000 wage-earners who mainly work in maritime and inland water transportation. 43 per cent of the membership are women and 57 per cent are men.

The Finnish Seamen’s Union was established in 1916 and is an affiliated member of the Central Organisation of Finnish Trade Unions SAK.

Our most important task is to monitor the benefits of our members

The Finnish Seamen’s Union promotes the interests and defends the rights of seafarers. The Union concludes collective bargaining agreements which concern its members, ensures that they are complied with and in other ways works to improve their working and living conditions. The Union helps its members in difficult situations in working life – the Union is always on the side of seafarers.

The members of the Finnish Seamen’s Union work for example in

• passenger vessels
• cargo vessels
• tankers
• ice-breakers
• log-floating tugboats
• push barges
• ferries going between the archipelago and
• small inland ferries.

The professional spectrum of the Union’s members is wide and they represent over 50 different professions, such as

• Ratings working on deck and in the engine room
• Kitchen personnel
• Shop sales personnel
• Musicians
• Fairway services
• Harbour supervisors
• Terminal personnel and
• Harbour cleaners.