Tasks of the Labour Council


Provisions on the tasks of the Labour Council are contained in the Act on the Labour Council and Derogation Permits Concerning Labour Protection (400/2004). Under section 7 of the act, the task of the Labour Council is to issue opinions on the application and interpretation of

  • the Working Hours Act
  • the Annual Holidays Act
  • the Occupational Safety and Health Act and
  • the Young Workers’ Act.

The Labour Council may also issue opinions on whether the Act on Co-operation within Undertakings or the Act on Co-operation within Finnish and Community-wide Groups of Undertakings should be applied to a particular company or group of companies.

The request for opinion, which must be in writing, may be submitted by:

  1. a court of law
  2. a Regional State Administrative Agency
  3. a central organisation for employers or employees
  4. a ministry dealing with the state’s labour market policy
  5. the Church Employers’ Delegation for Collective Agreements
  6. the Commission for Local Authority Employers
  7. the Provincial Government of Åland, or the municipal delegation for collective agreements of the Province of Åland
  8. the Cooperation Ombudsman, when the matter concerns the question of whether the Act on Co-operation within Undertakings or the Act on Co-operation within Finnish and Community-wide Groups of Undertakings should be applied to a particular company or group of companies.

The Labour Council also acts as the appeal authority in certain derogation permit issues concerning occupational safety and health. The Regional State Administrative Agency for Southwestern Finland may grant exceptions on request on the basis of the section 39, subsection 1, paragraphs 1–4 of the Working Hours Act and the Regional State Administrative Agency for Eastern Finland the section 15 of the Young Workers’ Act.  

A correction of a derogation permit decision issued by a Regional State Administrative Agency may be requested in writing from the Labour Council. The decision may not be appealed against. The period of redress is 30 days from the date on which the applicant for a derogation permit received notice of the decision, and in the case of other applicants from the date on which the decision or a copy of it was made available for perusal at the workplace. The request for correction must be addressed to the Labour Council.

Appeals against a decision concerning a request for correction issued by the Labour Council must be addressed to the Labour Court in writing. The appeal must be sent to the Labour Council, which must submit the appeal documents and its statement concerning the appeal to the Labour Court.

The Labour Council may also make proposals that it considers necessary in order to develop the labour legislation coming within its area of responsibility.