The Retired Teachers in Finland (OSJ) is a Finnish national organisation of persons retired from the educational field. The organisation has over 21 000 members. Every person formerly active in the field of education may become a member of the organisation. The Retired Teachers in Finland is an associate of the Trade Union of Education in Finland, OAJ. The board of the Retired Teachers is considered as the Senior Committee of the Trade Union of Education in Finland, OAJ.
The organisation maintains strict annual goals in defending the interests of its members. These include the better appreciation of the elderly as well as the improvement of their social status and retirement benefits. It is the goal of the organisation to influence the decision makers, most of all the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health as well as the members of the parliament, who are responsible for the final decisions concerning retirement and pensioner issues.
The organisation also maintains a broad spectrum of co-operation with various parties, for instance with the other pensioner organisations in the country including the Senior Network of the Confederation of Unions for Professional and Managerial Staff in Finland, AKAVA.
Currently, the OSJ has 70 local societies. They are responsible for arranging recreational activities for their members. The versatile activities include, for instance, various cultural, travelling and physical activities. Furthermore, the local societies arrange events to discuss various issues in the interests of pensioners. Many local societies also have their representatives in the elderly council of their municipality.
The OSJ publishes its own periodical Senioriopettaja (i.e. The Retired Teacher*), which comes out six times per annum. Senioriopettaja is a membership benefit, and as such cannot be subscribed.
For further information, please contact the Executive Director of the Retired Teachers in Finland, Ms. Tuula Laine, tel. +358 20 748 9735, tuula.laine@osj.fi.
*not an official translation of the name