Summary

Theatre and Media Employees in Finland, Teme, is a cultural organization and a trade union.

Teme is a corporation consisting of 7 separate unions:

• Theatre, Film and Television Designers
• 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 Theatre Directors
• Theatre Professionals´Union Finland
• TV Production Workers in Finland

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 4400 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:

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 www.tauno.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.

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.

Theatre Professionals´Union Finland

The Union takes care of the interests of over 1.900 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).