SYL: No further without the young

“SYL: Ei pitene ilman nuoria”
“FSF: Inte längre utan unga”

Statement 12.7.2011 (suomeksi / på svenska)
For immediate release

SYL: No further without the young

Jyrki Katainen’s six-party coalition Government has as one of its goals to improve the employment rate and to extend working careers. In the very beginning of the Government Programme, the Government highlights the word trio “equality between generations.” The National Union of University Students in Finland (SYL) is satisfied that the Government has understood the centrality of the generation perspective. We will be reminding the Government about these three words when needed,” SYL president Katri Korolainen-Virkajärvi remarks.

SYL concurs with the Government’s view that extending working careers is imperative for the future of Finland. That careers must be prolonged in the beginning, in the middle, and at the end is also in line with SYL’s objectives. Extending working careers is not possible by directing measures at only one phase of working life.

“We hope that policymakers understand that the young people of the present and the future will be subjected to measures to prolong working careers during their whole professional life. We must graduate earlier, be able to work harder in our professional lives, and continue working beyond the current retirement age. Every stick will hit the young. In SYL’s view, it is better to focus on softer methods for prolonging working careers rather than applying sanctions,” Korolainen-Virkajärvi proposes.

In SYL’s opinion, equality between generations plays a key role during the coming years. Extending working careers, reforming the pension system, changing working life, fighting climate change – these should all be managed in such a way that the young, pensioners who’ve done their part, and the post-war generation are all treated fairly.

“A reform that has the potential to impact young people negatively is the revision of and possible changes to the system of employment pension indexing, as defined in the Government Programme. The Government pledges to make this, as well as other reforms of professional life, on a tripartite basis. Where are young people in this kind of decision making? The decisions being made concern us more than any other generation. Nevertheless, the average age of Government Ministers is 46.5 years, and no young people are to be seen at the tables of the labour market organisations,” Korolainen-Virkajärvi points out.

SYL hopes that the Government and the labour market organisations will have the wisdom and willingness to think further ahead than just the current term of government. Sustainable decisions regarding the problems of our society cannot be made if young people are not a part of the decision-making process.

The National Union of University Students in Finland (SYL)

Katri Korolainen-Virkajärvi, president, phone +358 44 906 5007
Matti Parpala, secretary general, phone +358 41 515 2225
Janne Koskenniemi, board member, work and employment affairs, phone +358 44 906 5002

Read SYL’s proposals for extending working careers (in Finnish):
http://www.syl.fi/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/SYL_2011_Tyokalupakki_tyourien_pidentamiseen.pdf

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