TAKU stands by your side in working life.
Member services and benefits
The mission of Art and Culture Professionals’ Trade Union TAKU is to develop working life in the sector and conduct advocacy, which extends from the societal to the individual level. We actively advocate for our members’ societal, professional, salary and employment condition rights, but we are also by their side in professional development.
We provide support and professional counselling for our members in different situations (employed, business owners, self-employed, unemployed, jobseekers, students). We also support you if you are unemployed or laid off.
In addition, we offer numerous member benefits, most of which are available to you as soon as you join. As a self-employed person or an entrepreneur, you are also entitled to all member benefits, apart from unemployment security from the ERKO unemployment fund.
TAKU member benefits:
Unemployment security
Unemployment security of TAKU members who are employees is provided by Unemployment Fund for Higher Educated Employees ERKO, the membership fee for which is included in the union membership fee.
Entrepreneurs and the self-employed can insure themselves against unemployment by joining the Yrittäjäkassa unemployment fund (in Finnish).
Legal services and employment counselling
The lawyers of our parent union, Akava Special Branches, serve you in all matters related to working life. For example, you can have an employment contract checked before signing, or ask for advice about resignations or redundancy negotiations.
Salary counselling
We have compiled minimum salary recommendations for the art and cultural sector for your use.
We provide statistical, personal salary counselling based on minimum salary recommendations and collective bargaining agreements by phone and email: taku@taku.fi.
There can be great variation among people with the same title depending on their employers’ sector, location and the employee’s work experience. However, you can use these data as a basis for your own salary expectations.
Legal consultation on family and inheritance law
As a member of TAKU, you can receive consultation on family and inheritance law from the lawyers at Akava Special Branches. This includes drawing up documents such as prenuptial agreements and wills.
Insurance
As our member, you are secured by three insurance policies:
- Travel insurance (Turva)
- Leisure time accident insurance (Turva)
- Liability insurance and legal expenses insurance (If)
Your union membership card is your travel insurance card, so keep it with you when travelling. Travel insurance does not include luggage insurance. You can read about the insurance policies in more detail on the Akava Special Branches website.
You are also entitled to a discount on other Turva insurance policies, such as home and comprehensive car insurance. You can find further information about these discounts on the Turva website, which also has contact details for ordering an insurance certificate for a visa.
Download here the product descriptions for Travel insurance and Non-occupational travel/Leisure time accident insurance insurance.
Mentoring
We offer group mentoring to our members who are already working. The key elements in mentoring are identifying and reinforcing your own skills, peer support within the art and culture sector, facilitating networking, and supporting career planning.
We let our members know about the application periods and details in the member newsletter, on our website and on our social media channels.
Career services
You can book a personal career counselling and sparring appointment with Coolla specialists (also in English). You can get support and help with job applications, career planning and your well-being at work. You also have access to an extensive video library, which you can use to learn more about job searching and career planning when it suits you.
TAKU's career service provider is Coolla. Book your time to personal career coaching here.
Username and password for the service can be found from the member's online service behind the member login. The site is only in Finnish. Information for career services are under 'uravalmennus'.
Own Shop Steward service
When you face challenging changes, crises or transitions in your career, you need clear information about how the world of employment works and what opportunities it provides. The Own Shop Steward (Oma Luottamusmies) service meets this need. The service is provided by the Federation of Professional and Managerial Staff, YTN, the common negotiation organization for the trade unions that are members of Akava. Access the service (in Finnish).
Training and events
We provide free member training to promote professional competence and working life skills. TAKU’s training focuses on professional questions in the art and culture sector. In addition, we cooperate with Akava Special Branches to provide training sessions about general working life topics.
We also organize regional events and other informal member events, such as our popular lunch meet-ups and visits to cultural events. At these events you can meet other TAKU members, network and generally enjoy yourself.
Job search support
Are you unemployed or at risk of losing your job? We support your job search and employment in cooperation with Akava Special Branches. You can take advantage of our free member training sessions, which support your job search and working life skills. Akava Special Branches’ career training also offers you support for your job search, identifying your own skills, and career planning.
The Unemployment Fund for Higher Educated Employees ERKO the membership fee for which is included in the union membership fee, provides unemployment security for TAKU members. (If you run your own business, see: Yrittäjäkassa.)
Support for education
TAKU encourages its' members' professional development by awarding support for courses in open university/ university of applied sciences or in summer university (eg.). The annual application period is in September. Read more >>
TAKUtuki Grant for students
We award a personal TAKUtuki Grant each spring to two students for their bachelor’s/master’s final project or thesis at a university of applied sciences or other university. TAKU student members or members who have just completed or are completing their bachelor’s master’s final project or thesis may apply for the grant. We provide more detailed instructions each spring at the start of the application period.
Other benefits which support well-being
Check out the other member benefits, such as for sport and holiday cottage rentals in the Member+ service. We’ll tell you about possible discounts for TAKU members on events in the member newsletter.
Services for TAKU members are provided by
