Erto's member services
Advice on joining, membership and membership fee matters:
Tel. 09 613 231
Mon–Fri 9.30–11.30 and 12–14
jasenpalvelu@erto.fi
Oma Erto e-service ›
Erto briefly in English
Union of Private Sector Professionals Erto
Erto is a labour union for employees working in expert positions in the private service sector.
Our members represent a wide variety of fields, such as transportation and forwarding, advertising, marketing, market research, ICT, health care and social services, financial management, physical exercise, culture, free-time activities and other special fields.
Erto has six member associations representing a number of fields of activity. Your member association is determined automatically by the field of activity of your employer.
- Erityistoimihenkilöt Et ry; Association of Specialized Salaried Employees
- Logistiikan toimihenkilöt ry; Association of Salaried Employees working in Transport and Freight Forwarding
- Markkinoinnin, luovien ja ICT-alojen ammattilaiset Digmarit ry; Union for people working in marketing, creative industries and ICT fields
- Yksityisen Sosiaali- ja Terveysalan Ammattilaiset Ystea; Union of Private Sector Social and Healthcare Professionals
- Taloushallinnon Ammattilaiset ry; Association of Salaried Accountants
- Suomen Optometrian Ammattilaiset Soa; Finnish Professionals of Optometry
Erto has eighteen local chapters that look after the interests of the members and organize recreational activities.
Erto has 13 000 members with women accounting for over 76% of the total. The federation is a member of the Finnish Confederation of Salaried Employees STTK and is not affiliated with any political party.
10 reasons to join Erto
- Protects your interests in the labour market
- Influences labour legislation
- Negotiates collective agreements and gives salary recommendations
- Provides training for members and shop stewards
- Offers support and assistance in the workplace through shop stewards
- Gives advice on employment contracts
- Provides legal assistance and free legal aid
- Offers the membership of an unemployment fund that pays unemployment benefits in case of lay-offs or unemployment
- Offers excellent insurance coverage
- Organizes events and offers special discounts
How to join Erto?
To join Erto, fill in our membership application online. There are different membership options available to best suit your needs. Täysturva-membership is our full coverage membership with the most membership benefits and services. Perusturva is our medium coverage membership and Kevytturva is the lightest option. There is also a student membership for those who study full-time and an entrepreneur membership for the self-employed/entrepreneurs.
Erto's membership types:
| Membership | Kevytturva member (light coverage membership) |
Perusturva member (medium coverage membership) |
Täysturva member (full coverage membership) |
Student member | Entrepreneur member |
| For whom? | Anyone working in the private sector | Anyone working in the private sector | Anyone working in the private sector | Full-time students | Self-employed/entrepreneurs |
| Membership fee | 12 € per month | 1 % of gross monthly salary, 10–35 € per month | 1,25 % of gross monthly salary, 10–44 € per month | 10 € per year | 19 € per month |
| Membership includes: | |||||
| Collective agreements and salary recommendations | x | x | x | x | x |
| Possibility to influence working life matters in your own field | x | x | x | x | x |
| Unemployment security (Koko unemployment fund) | x | x | x | ||
| Job search guide | x | x | x | ||
| Right to use shop steward's services at the workplace | x | x | x | x | x |
| Employment law counselling | x | x | x | x (available only in matters pertaining to your own employment relationship) | |
| Employment contract checking service | x | x | |||
| Legal help in employment disputes | x | x | x | ||
| Basic legal expenses insurance: Erto covers 85 % of employment dispute costs, and the member pays the remaining 15 % | x | ||||
| Limitless/full legal expenses insurance to cover the cost of employment disputes | x | ||||
| Legal advice in family and inheritance matters | x | ||||
| Erto's training sessions and webinars | x | x | x | ||
| Career portal training sessions, tests and support | x | x | x | ||
| Member association’s vocational training sessions | Available for an additional fee | Available for an additional fee | Available free of charge or at a discounted price for Täysturva members | Available for an additional fee | Available for an additional fee |
| Member association's benefits and services | Available for an additional fee | Available for an additional fee | Available free of charge or at a discounted price for Täysturva members | Available for an additional fee | Available for an additional fee |
| Local chapter's recreational events | Available for an additional fee | Available for an additional fee | Available at a discounted price for Täysturva members | Available at a discounted price for student members | Available at a discounted price for entrepreneur members |
| Travel insurance (for those who are under 68 years old) | x | x | x | ||
| Commercial benefits (eg. discounts from hotels, spas and cruise lines and from our insurance partner Turva) | x | x | x | ||
| 20 % discount from Ukko.fi invoicing service | x | x | x |
Transferring from one union to another
Fill in our application online. Make sure your membership fees are up to date in your current union. If your membership fees are not up to date when transferring from one union to another, you will compromise your unemployment security.
Few of our core member benefits explained:
Employment law counselling
Täysturva, Perusturva, student or entrepreneur members who have questions concerning their employment relationship, can call Erto's legal aid number tel. 09 613 231. The service is available Mon–Fri 8.30–13.30. Our lawyers are happy to help with any questions you may have.
Erto's lawyers also assist members to settle disputes that may arise with their employer.
Legal expenses insurance
Erto’s Täysturva membership includes full legal expenses insurance that covers all costs associated with employment disputes. For Perusturva members, Erto covers 85% of employment dispute costs, and the remaining 15% is paid by the member.
Unemployment benefits
If you are a Täysturva, Perusturva or Kevytturva member and you lose your job or get temporarily laid off, you are eligible for earnings-related allowance as a member of the Koko unemployment fund.
You can get in touch with the Koko fund by either calling their service number 09 4763 7600 (Mon—Thu 10—15, Fri 10–13) or by signing in to Koko fund's e-service.
For additional information about unemployment benefits, please visit the Federation of Unemployment Funds in Finland's website ›
Collective labour agreements
Erto's primary task is to protect the interests of its members in the labour market. By far the most effective way of doing so is to conclude collective labour agreements and ensure that they are complied with.
A collective labour agreement is a nationwide agreement between a trade union and an employer organization specifying the salary to be paid and other terms and conditions of employment. Collective labor agreements define the minimum terms and conditions of work, such as earnings, overtime pay, holidays, occupational health care, etc. In their individual employment contracts, employees may naturally agree on terms that are more favorable than those stipulated in the collective agreement.
Added weight to the agreements is lent by the fact that, in Finland, membership in unions and employer organizations is high compared with other EU countries.
Erto negotiates nation-wide collective labour agreements for nine fields of activity. For fields of activity with no collective agreement, Erto issues salary recommendations based on research findings.
Insurance
Basic insurance coverage for members is provided by statutory social security that is supplemented with the collective labour agreement, group life insurance negotiated by the central employee organisations, a special union-specific insurance , and any additional insurance you may take out for yourself.
Statutory insurance provides coverage primarily for those who are gainfully employed.
Discounts and other benefits
Erto's membership fee includes an extensive insurance coverage package from Erto's insurance partner Turva for Täysturva-, student and entrepreneur members (full coverage membership), complete with travel insurance. In addition, the above-mentioned members can make use of the federation’s member association's timeshares and receive discounts and special offers from shipping lines and hotels etc.
Improving working life
Intense competition has given rise to harsh values in working life. In contrast, the trade union movement cherishes justice, equality, and responsibility for others. We speak not only about euros and percentages but also about issues that help improve the quality of life at work, such as harmonization of work with free time and life-long learning.
The labour union movement is an active player in developing the working life. Its main task is to uphold the welfare state by influencing the labour market and the economy. The collective bargaining system is based on the principles applied by the International Labour Organization ILO that underline the importance of co-operation between trade unions, employer organisations and the government.
Erto's employment law counselling
Advice on employment relationship, employment contract and labour dispute matters:
Tel. 09 613 231
Mon–Fri 8.30–13.30
Koko unemployment Fund
Advice on unemployment, earnings-related allowance, job alteration leave and mobility assistance matters:
Tel. 09 4763 7600
Mon—Thu 10—15, Fri 10–13
Koko fund's e-service ›
Koko fund's website ›