Construction Trade Union

The Construction Trade Union (Rakennusliitto) is a trade union representing workers in the construction industry in Finland.

The union was founded in 1924, when the Finnish Painters' Union merged with the Finnish Stonemasons' Union, the Finnish Union of Civil and Road Construction Workers, and sections of the Finnish Woodworkers' Union and the Finnish Union of Sawmill, Transportation and General Workers. Initially affiliated to the Finnish Trade Union Federation, from 1930, it was affiliated to the Finnish Federation of Trade Unions.

The union gained a reputation for being on the left wing of the labour movement, and after World War II, it affiliated to the Trade Union International of Building, Wood, Building Materials and Allied Industries. For many years, it hosted the international's headquarters, and many of its presidents also served as general secretary of the international.

Since 1969, the union has been affiliated to the Central Organisation of Finnish Trade Unions, with the Finnish Divers' Union and the Finnish Bricklayers' Union soon joining. By 1998, it had 78,746 members, while in 2020, it had 69,060 members.

Presidents

 * 1924: Uno Nurminen
 * 1930: Tuomas Bryggari
 * 1939: Uno Nurminen
 * 1945: Viljo Rautelin
 * 1955: Aarne Saarinen
 * 1967: Erkki Salomaa
 * 1971: Aarno Aitamurto
 * 1987: Pekka Hynönen
 * 2005: Matti Harjuniemi