Finland Times

Campaigning for Citizen initiative bill for banning zero-working hours. File Photo – Str / Lehtikuva.

A citizens’ initiative proposing a ban on zero-hour contracts received over 61,000 signatures. The specified period allocated to collect the signatures expired on Wednesday.

The initiative proposes at least 18 working hours per week for part-time jobs. Under 18 hours a week for a part-time job would only be possible in a separate wish written by the employee.

Contracts with fewer weekly hours could be drafted on one’s own accord by, among others, students, parents taking care of children, and part-time pensioners.

Similarly, jobs whose working hours cannot be predicted could be allowed in contracts of less than 18 hours week.

The citizens’ initiative will now head to parliament since it has achieved the threshold of 50,000 signatures.

The proponent behind the initiative, Mika Kolehmainen, pointed out that the goal of the initiative is to reinforce the position of the people working long hours in the society.

“For instance, the obligation to pay may be circumvented in time of illness, if the minimum working hours is zero.In many collective bargaining agreements, sick leave is paid according to the working-hours system,”Kolehmainen said.

According to Kolehmainen,the working hours may also drop to zero, for instance, in time of pregnancy or as a result of dispute.

A survey found 37 percent of the respondents were completely in favour of banning zero-hour contracts, while 23 percent were willing to some extentto ban the zero-hour contracts. The survey commissioned by the Trade Union For The Public And Welfare Sectors-JHL was conducted by Taloustutkimus.