In Finland, employers are also organized into collective bargaining associations. Two other central organizations cover white-collar, professional, and technical employees. All trade unions are democratically organized and managed and are independent of the government and of political parties. The Finnish Constitution guarantees the right to strike and strike actions by Finnish workers were decriminalized in 1922. In 1970 public sector employees were granted the right to strike.
Trade unions are free to affiliate with and participate in international bodies.
The right to organize and bargain collectively exists in law and practice and is exercised extensively. Finland is a highly organized society in which over 80 percent of both workers and employers are members of trade unions and employers' collective bargaining associations. With very few exceptions, all collective agreements since 1968 have been based on incomes policy agreements between central employees' and employers' organizations and the state. Workers are protected against anti-union discrimination and organization is encouraged in all sectors of the economy. Finland has no export processing zones.