Social Welfare in Finland Prof

SOCIAL WELFARE IN FINLAND PROF. JOHN E. OWEN Like various other countries, Finland too operates several statutory social welfare measures, which to a great extent are supplemented by the voluntary efforts of the people. In the following article, the author describes some of the salient features of welfare programmes in Finland. Prof. Owen is on the Faculty of the Florida Southern College, Florida, United States. Although geography has placed Finland the problem, but it is still acute. Many large beside the Iron Curtain, her culture and and ultramodern apartment-buildings have social welfare policies are essentially of the been erected in Helsinki and Tampere, and democratic pattern. An independent nation several industrial firms have provided new since 1917, she maintains her relative freedom flats for their workers. But the influx of despite the proximity of Soviet power. The population from the rural areas and the major post-war problems afflicting her four marriage and birth rates continue to out million people have concerned housing, the distance home building, with the result that rebuilding of her bombed cities, and the re many young married couples are compelled settlement of over 400,000 refugees from to live temporarily with their parents. Karelia (eastern Finland) who voluntarily left their homes rather than live under Welfare Organizations.—As in the Scandi Russian rule. navian countries, welfare ideas are highly developed. Social welfare work is mainly A great burden upon the Finnish economy concentrated in the Ministry for Social followed the imposition of Soviet reparations Affairs, organised in five departments: amounting to the equivalent of 75 million general, labour, insurance, welfare, and pounds sterling, or one year's national temperance. Each local municipality is also budget. It was typical of the Finns that in required to appoint a board of social welfare less than eight years, by the autumn of 1952, with a special Child Welfare section, and this sum should have been paid in full. every rural district is authorised to maintain Appreciable efforts have also been made at a community home. In addition, municipal rehabilitating the Karelians, while rebuilding welfare organisations include reformatories, has proceeded at such a pace since 1945 that day nurseries, legal advice bureaux, and in Helsinki and other cities bomb-damage institutions for the mentally deficient. There today would be hard to find. are also numerous voluntary societies that Finland is predominantly a rural country endeavour to ameliorate social conditions. and three-quarters of her workers are The Society of Social policy aims at the employed in agriculture. But rapid industria scientific and practical investigation of social lisation since 1920 has tended to render most and economic questions. The Housing Re of her welfare problems urban in nature. form Society, the Society for the Prevention Housing, for example, is still a major of Accidents, and the Central Child Welfare problem in the capital city of Helsinki, in Association each perform useful work of the Tampere (the leading textile centre), and type suggested by their titles. Mention Turku, the ancient former capital. Govern should be made of the Holiday Association ment loans for rebuilding and measures for which spreads knowledge of the importance the full utilisation of dwellings have eased of properly organised holidays, and works SOCIAL WELFARE IN FINLAND 201 for the provision of inexpensive holiday credit provision, and forestry, and hence resorts for low-income groups. Almost every upon living standards generally, as the family in Helsinki has a summer home in exports of timber and wood products are the country, usually by the side of one the main source of national revenue. Co of Finland's sixty thousand lakes. Even operatives in Finland have held to the working-class families will own or rent a original principles enunciated over a century summer cottage or cabin with a sauna of ago in Rochdale, England, and are well Finish steam-bath adjoining. The sauna adapted to the pioneer ethos of the nation. is national institution and has probably It would be hard to exaggerate the im played a part in creating the sturdy physical portance of co-operative welfare facilities to ruggedness of the Finns. Finnish farmers, and Finnish agronomists concur that the movement has played an Until 1952 unemployment was not a influential part in improving agricultural major problem. Only a very small number of standards. One of the two branches of the the population was then out of work. Since co-operative movement, known as SOK, 1953 Finland's export problems have inten employs educators and lecturers who make sified. At the same time many university- nation-wide trips on behalf of worker- trained young people find great difficulty training programmes. Professional domestic in securing employment commensurate with science advisers are hired to aid rural house their qualifications and training, and the wives. Musical, artistic, dramatic and possibility of an educated proletariat looms literary events are well organised all over large. Great advances have been made in Finland, and co-operative athletic clubs legislative enactments to protect the workers' provided several Finnish Olympic sportsmen health and safety, and a systematic scheme with their first training. Both SOK and its of wage and hour laws is in effect. There are counterpart, KK, aim to be model employers. special protections for younger workers and Fine working conditions and an adequate for women, and a Workers' Annual Holiday social security system, embracing pensions, Act grants specific vacation rights to all sickness benefits, bonuses, child-care, free employees. hospital treatment, life insurance schemes, Living conditions generally are by any and paid holidays are conducive to high relevant criterion quite tolerable. The morale among their workers. One third of rationing of all foodstuffs ended in the Finnish retail trade passes through co spring of 1954, and there are no striking operative shops and in relation to population. shortages. But inflation has made life diffi Finnish co-operatives are more highly cult for many working-class Finns in the developed than those of any other nation, post-war era. A government stabilisation with the solitary exception of Iceland. programme to combat inflation has won the support of nearly all political parties. Simi Social Security.—In the nation at large, larly, all parties gave their general support employee accident compensation is provided to the welfare programme. by law, in the form of medical care, day Co-operative Movement.—An important allowances, and annuities. Since World War role in the national life is played by the con II, the amount of compensation paid to dis sumer co-operative movement. Its progress abled ex-servicemen has been considerably has had a direct bearing upon the advance more than ten times the amount paid in ment of Finnish agriculture, dairying, small connection with industrial accidents. This is 202 PROF. JOHN E. OWEN indicative of the extensive sacrifices of the the Save-the-Children Society, Friends of the war years as well as of the advances made Blind, the League of Deaf-Mutes, and the toward improving factory conditions. central Association of Invalid Organisations. Old age and disability insurance have been During the war voluntary relief work was in effect since 1939, when the People's naturally intensified and became concen Pension Act of 1937 became operative. Its trated under Finland Aid, a central relief scope is very wide and it aims to offer organisation which currently collects money security against the hazards of old age and for welfare purposes. A free legal aid service possible disability of every Finnish subject. It is also available in most towns. is a contributory pension scheme jointly The Problem of Alcoholism—One nation involving employers and workers. Pensions wide Finnish problem that has received begin at the age of 65, their amount being widespread publicity relates to alcoholism. dependent upon the extent of the premiums Although the consumption of alcoholic paid. beverages per capita is smaller than in most One important characteristic of recent other countries, the injuries caused by it and welfare policy has been an attempt to the arrests for drunkenness tend to be among increase the number of measures of a preven the highest in the countries for which com tive nature, aiming at the encouraging of parable statistics are available. The Finnish self-help by those in need of relief. Similarly, State Liquor Monopoly (ALKO) has found efforts have been made to remove perma it necessary to engage in extensive research nently the causes underlying the need for in order to determine government policy on aid. The communal home seeks to fill the the social effects of liquor distribution. Pro needs of those requiring poor aid who cannot hibition on the private sale of alcohol in be assisted in their own homes or suitably Finland ceased in 1932. An official committee placed in private homes. For children, day has been appointed by Parliament to prepare nurseries, playground services, and agricul a report on suggestions for the gradual tural club work are well established in liberalisation of liquor control. According to Finland. Post-war schools are extremely Professor Veli Verkko of the University of modern and well-equipped. Kindergartens Helsinki, Finland's leading criminal statis are entitled by law to government aid. tician, alcoholism is an aspect of Finnish social pathology closely related to a high Voluntary Welfare Work.—Although wel suicide and homicide rate in which elements fare work based on legislation has greatly of the national character play their part. An expanded in recent decades, voluntary relief official research project is now in progress work is accorded a significant place in and will attempt to assess psychiatric and Finnish communities. In many fields volun Socio-cultural factors in the problem.

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