The elections took place at the 5th ITUC World Congress in Melbourne, Australia. Palola was elected as one of the 34 Vice Presidents and also as one of the 25 members of the Executive Bureau.

The ITUC’s primary mission is to promote and defend workers' rights and interests, through international cooperation between trade unions, and by way of global campaigning and advocacy within major global institutions.

Its main areas of activity include the following: trade union and human rights; the economy, society and the workplace; equality and non-discrimination; and international solidarity.

The ITUC has close ties with the Global Union Federations and the Trade Union Advisory Committee to the OECD (TUAC). It also works closely with the International Labour Organisation and with several other UN Specialised Agencies.

– To work as a Nordic member in the administration of an international organisation is a major expression of confidence in STTK and also for me personally, Palola says.

– The task is an excellent observation post to assess the challenges ahead and possible solutions to these challenges on different continents.

The major challenges of ITUC in the coming years are connected, for example, with climate change, just transition and defending democracy and human rights.

– The training and knowledge of employees must be taken care of, so that their know-how and skills better match the challenges and demands of changes in working life.

– At the same time, the trade union movement must have a global reach to bring about the green transition necessary, in a socially, economically and geographically just way.

ITUC represents some 200 million members of 322 affiliated organisations in 163 countries. The ITUC affiliates from Finland are the Central Organisation of Finnish Trade Unions SAK and the Finnish Confederation of Professionals STTK. In 2021, Akava, the Confederation of Unions for Professional and Managerial Staff in Finland, left ITUC.

 Pro is affiliated to the Finnish Confederation of Professionals STTK.