In a historic move, a collective agreement for audiovisual translation agencies has been approved in Finland. Negotiated by the Finnish Association of Translators and Interpreters (SKTL) and the Union of Journalists in Finland on the unions side, and Saga Vera Oy, Pre-Text Oy, Movision Ky and the Rosmer International cooperative on the employers side, the agreement covers a range of issues such as working hours, holidays, and salaries.
According to a spokesperson from the Union of Journalists, the agreement is the first of its kind in Finland to be negotiated specifically for the audiovisual translation industry. It was made possible by the Guidelines on competition law issued by the European Commission. The agreement aims to address longstanding issues related to fair compensation and transparency in the industry. It foresees a 6% pay rise to be achieved gradually by the end of the agreement and also includes clauses on minimum rates for self-employed audiovisual translators, additional payments to cover for pensions and other employer contributions that are not paid by AV translation agencies and recommendations on family leave.