The Central Organisation of Finnish Trade Unions, usually referred to by the acronym SAK (Finnish: Suomen Ammattiliittojen Keskusjärjestö; Swedish: Finlands Fackförbunds Centralorganisation, FFC) is the largest trade union confederation in Finland. Its member organisations have a total of more than one million members, which makes up about one fifth of the country's population.
The other two Finnish trade unions confederations are the Finnish Confederation of Professionals (STTK) and the Confederation of Unions for Professional and Managerial Staff in Finland (AKAVA). The most important negotiating partner of the SAK is the Confederation of Finnish Industries (EK, Elinkeinoelämän keskusliitto/Finlands Näringsliv) which represents the majority of Finnish employers.
The current SAK was founded in 1969 as the Finnish Federation of Trade Unions (SAK 1930–1969), controlled by SKDL and TPSL, and the Finnish Trade Union Federation (SAJ 1960–1969), controlled by the SDP, settled their disputes and merged into one. The SAK considers itself the continuation of the first Finnish central organisation, the Finnish Trade Union Federation (SAJ 1907–1930).
The SAK is generally supportive of the Social Democratic Party, and has spent money on advertisements backing the party. In 2007, advertisements it placed on behalf of the SDP were found to be defamitory, leading the SAK to withdraw them.[1][2]
