Finnish universities of Applied Sciences reach agreement after labor dispute
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Negotiators representing Finnish educators and employers concluded a collective bargaining agreement for Universities of Applied Sciences after a prolonged dispute.
The Opetusalan ammattijärjestö OAJ, Ylemmät Toimihenkilöt YTN, and Sivistysala ry. (Sivista) all accepted the proposal from the national mediator. During the negotiations, OAJ issued over 20 strike warnings affecting more than 3,000 teachers across the country.
The new agreement includes generally aligned salary increases for 2026 and 2027, totaling approximately 7.3 to 7.8 percent over the 2025 to 2027 contract period, depending on the field and contract length. A point of contention, a special availability supplement for teachers in the technology and transport sectors, will be eliminated under the new agreement.
While teachers who previously received this supplement may experience slightly slower salary growth until their pay matches colleagues, OAJ reports that all teachers’ salaries will improve and pay gaps will narrow during the contract period. Sivista expressed satisfaction with the removal of the supplement, stating the new system will treat all employees equally.
