SUMMARY

The Theatre and Media Employees in Finland (TeMe) is a cultural organization and a trade union. It is a corporation consisting of eight separate unions:

The Union of Finnish Dance Artists

The Union of Finnish Film and Video Employees
The Union of Finnish Lighting and Sound Designers
The Union of Finnish Scenographers
The Union of Finnish Theatre Employees

The Union of Finnish Theatre Directors
The Finnish TV Production Workers

The members of the unions are professionals, students, freelancers and self-employed persons in the fields of theatre, dance, film and TV production. There are about 3800 members including artists, technicians, teachers and officials.

The trade union means social security to you. It helps to create common rules in the field. It`s worthwhile being a member.

Working in Finland

Basic information conserning contracts and the law:

www.mol.fi/finnwork (in English, in Swedish)

www.sttk.fi/en/engl (in English, in Russian, in Estonian)

Your basic security as a member includes:

Guidance on employment questions
You will get advice and information on all matters related to your employment. You can also get your employment contract checked by the union.

Collective labour agreements
A collective agreement defines the general rules of the game that both the employer and the employees should observe. The union negotiates the agreement and controls that the provisions of the contract are complied with.

Legal services
A lawyer is full-time employed by the union. The lawyer will give you advice if you run into problems at work. If necessary, the union can plead your cause in court without charging you anything for it.

Unemployment benefits
You can join the unemployment benefit society and get unemployment compensation while you`re out of work. You will get an income-related daily allowance after being a member and employed during ten months. The income-related daily allowance exceeds the daily allowance granted by the Finnish National Pensions Institute. You can apply for membership in the unemployment benefit society by filling in the same form as when applying for union membership.

Help in applying for a job
The recruitment site Tauno at the Internet offers free-of-charge services to all members and employers in the field. The address is http://tauno.teak.fi.

Copyright matters
As a copyright owner you can become a member of the Kopiosto, and on the basis of the copyright provisions you will get copyright payments. Copyright matters should always be settled by a labour contract in writing. The union will give you more information and advice.

Insurance security
As a regular member you`ll get a free-of-charge leisure-time accident insurance and a travel insurance with the Casualty Insurance Company If. Due to the union`s agreement with the If, all members can also get motor-vehicle, home, luggage and life insurances at a discount.

Shop stewards
There is a comprehensive network of shop stewards in Finnish theatres. The shop steward knows the rules of the house and will give you help and advice. The matters of the dance artists are taken care of by regional representatives.

Membership benefits
With the membership card, you can buy several products and services at a discount. This includes services by the car-rental company Transvell Ltd., the lawyer`s office Perttu Turku, the company Instumentarium, and air and boat trips in Europe provided by the company Superfast. You can also apply for vacation and renovation assistance and rent an apartment in Paris. Those who work in the theatre field can buy theatre tickets at a discount.

International contacts
You`ll get into contact with trade unions all over the world through the Union Network International (the UNI). The union actively cooperates with the sister unions in the Scandinavian countries and Europe.

Up-to-date information
You can keep yourself up to date and get fresh information on all current guestions and, for instance, law amendments in your own field. The periodical Meteli, published four times a year, and the home page www.teme.fi are the most important TeMe information channels.

Basic security
The above-mentioned membership benefits and services are available to all members of the eight unions in the TeMe. The member unions are intensively cooperating with the TeMe and among themselves on questions of theatre, dance and film policy and in making statements on, for instance, law amendments. Further, each union takes care of its own particular matters. More on these matters in the following:

The Union of Finnish Dance Artists has since 1937 been working as a trade union, a cultural organization and a moulder of public opinion. On the international level, the union is an active member of the International Federation of Actors (FIA) and the Nordiska Skådespelarrådet (NSR, ie the Council of Scandinavian Actors).
There are almost 700 members in the organization. Most of them live in the Helsinki region About 80 per cent of the members are self-employed, or work as freelancers with short employment contracts.
The union actively cooperates with the most important organizations in the field of culture, such as the Finnish Dance Information Centre, the Dance Arena, the Dance Health Finland, the Room for Dance Society and the Helsinki International Ballet Competition. The union controls the Timo and Klaus Salin foundation which grants awards to male dance artists in the age between 18 and 25 in the field of classical ballet. You can get more information at the address www.teme.fi/sttl.

The Union of Finnish Film and Video Employees is the most extensive
organization of film employees and film artists in Finland. There are over 500 members. They work for instance as cameramen, stage designers, cutters, makeup artists, directors, and costume, lighting and sound designers in the production of long, documentary, short and video films as well as commercials and TV programmes.
The union actively cooperates with the Swedish-language union Finlands Journalistförbund (the Union of Finnish Journalists). The union makes a contribution to film culture by publishing a periodical on film culture called Lehtiset which focuses on the creators of film culture. It also takes part in organizing the Tampere Film Festival and the festival Kettupäivät (Foxy Days). The union each year grants awards to students in the field. Additional information can be obtained at the address www.teme.fi/set.

The Union of Finnish Lighting and Sound Designers is working as a
union whose members are carrying out artistic and technical tasks in lighting and sound design in the performing arts in theatres, dance theatres, the opera and at concerts and festivals. The union aims at consolidating the working conditions of the young profession in terms of payment and social matters. The union has almost 100 members.
The union grants awards to the members for further training and pays tribute to distinguished workers in the field. The web page of the union is a forum for open and active information and debate. The address is www.sval.net.

The Union of Finnish Scenographers has over 60 years been taking care of the scenographers` interests in professional questions and cultural policy. The number of members amounts to about 250. They work as costume and stage designers in theatres, the opera, film and TV productions.
Finland`s OISTAT, taking part in organizing the Prague Quadriennale, is an important cooperation partner in the international field. More information at the address www.teme.fi/sll.

The Union of Finnish Theatre Directors takes care of the interests of more than 300 directors and dramaturges. It also tries to promote the development of the theatre and cultural policy of the country. About 10 per cent of the members work as directors and dramaturges permanently engaged in various theatres. One of the most important tasks of the union is to improve the status and significance of the Finnish theatre by promoting discussions and taking initiatives. A year of initiation for young directors and dramaturges is a project started by the union. The project aims at bringing together the already established theatre field and the younger generation. On the international level, the union is a member of the Nordiska Sceninstruktörrådet (NSIR, ie the Scandinavian Council of Theatre Directors and Instructors) and has concluded agreements on cultural exchange with the Asociacion de Directores de Escena in Spain and the Eesti Lavastajate Liit (the Estonian Theatre Directors` Union). See the address www.teme.fi/stohl for more information.

The Union of Finnish Theatre Employees takes care of the interests of over 1.700 members and focuses on the development of the members`working conditions, salaries, professional skills and training. The members are working in administration and marketing and they are among others stage managers, hairdressers, prompters, coulisse men, makeup artists, metal workers, cloakroom attendants, stage workers, dressmakers, dressers, carpenters, property men, effects men, tailors, doormen, and lighting and sound managers in all fields of the performing dramatic arts. The society Kilta (the Guild) for teachers and instructors in drama expression plays an active role within the union. It aims at promoting the employment of the members and at bringing the young profession to public attention. Arranging further education and seminars on topical questions plays an important role in the union`s activities. On the international level, the union takes part in the work of the Nordisk Teater för Teknik och Administration (NTR, ie approx. Technics and Administration in Scandinavian Theatres). More information at the address www.teme.fi/sttel.

The TV Production Workers focuses on promoting the members` wages and professional, educational and social interests. There are about 120 members working as hairdressers, coulisse men, painters, metal workers, makeup artists, dressmakers, costumiers, carpenters and storemen in the programme production of the YLE (the Finnish Broadcasting Corporation).
One of the most important tasks of the union has recently been to safeguard the position of the employees, as the organizational reforms and the financial problems of the YLE have affected the jobs and employment of the members. More information at the address www.teme.fi.

Please contact us!
Theatre and Media Employees in Finland
Meritullinkatu 33 A, 00170 Helsinki
tel + 358 9 2511 2140
teme@teme.fi

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