Tehy and its members

Tehy is the largest Finnish trade union of qualified social care, healthcare, and early childhood education professionals – a community representing 160,000 members. We know our field, campaign boldly and are never far away. We effect change and promote a better working life.

We promote the financial, professional and legal interests of our members, for example by negotiating collective agreements in the social care, healthcare and early childhood education sectors. We also influence legislation, labour market policies, working life solutions and social changes. Read Tehy’s rules (in Finnish).

We support each other at every stage of working life. We are a community that provides security, but also joy and energy.

We are willing and able to work together to promote our interests. We believe that when we achieve better salaries and working conditions, the services that are important to everyone’s daily life will also improve. We won't give up until we succeed.

Tehy has 160,000 members. Most of our members work in the public sector, but we also have members working in the private sector and as independent entrepreneurs or for the state.

Tehy members join us either through their professional branch or their student association. All graduates with a social care or healthcare degree can become members of the professional branch. All students studying for their first social care or healthcare degree can be members of a student association.

Tehy was established in 1982, when six of the field’s professional organisations merged to improve the interests of all health and social care professionals. Tehy is the largest trade organisation in its central organisation, the Finnish Confederation of Professionals (STTK).