Central Workers' Council of Finland

Central Workers' Council of Finland (Finnish: Työväen pääneuvosto, Swedish: Arbetarnas centralråd) was the legislature of the Red side of the 1918 Civil War of Finland. It was appointed by the Workers' Council of People's Representatives to serve as a parliamentary body and supervise the Finnish People's Delegation.^[1]^[2]

Central Workers' Council was composed of 40 members who represented the Social Democratic Party of Finland (SDP), the Finnish Trade Union Federation (SAJ), the Red Guards and the . SDP had 15 representatives, SAJ and the Red Guards 10 each and the Helsinki Workers' Council 5. The chairman was Valfrid Perttilä, a former member of the Parliament of Finland. Central Workers' Council had 5 standing committees; the Constitution Committee, Legal Affairs Committee, Finance Committee, War and Economy Committee and the Foreign Affairs Committee.^[3]

The Central Workers' Council was active from 14 February to 10 April 1918. Sessions took place at the House of Estates in Helsinki, and in April in Vyborg where the Red administration was evacuated prior to the Battle of Helsinki. Likewise the People's Delegation, the Central Workers' Council was planned as a contemporary body as the constitution was to be passed on a referendum. However, the Red power collapsed in late April and most of the leading Reds fled to the Soviet Russia.^[3]

Selected representatives[]

Chairman Valfrid Perttilä

The complete list of members of the Central Workers' Council is unknown as the documents are missing or destroyed. According to the historian , at least 48 persons, including the deputy representatives, took part on the sessions. The full assemblies of Finance and Foreign Affairs Committees are also missing.^[3]

Leadership

Valfrid Perttilä (chairman)
August Lehto (1st vice chairman)
Kaarlo Tuominen (2nd vice chairman)
Väinö Jokinen (secretary)

Constitution Committee

Matti Airola (chairman), , Ida Aalle-Teljo, Väinö Jokivirta, Väinö Toikka

Legal Affairs Committee

(chairman), Taavetti Lapveteläinen, , Mikko Aaltio, A. Veijola

Finance Committee

(chairman), Aino Forsten, , E. Karhunen

War and Economy Committee

Valter Vihriä (chairman), Emil Peltonen (chairman), , Akseli Kokkola, Karl Emil Hypén, Erik J. Salo

Foreign Affairs Committee

(chairman), Anton Huotari

Other

Kustaa Ahmala, Aapo Harjula, Hilda Herrala, Hanna Karhinen, ,

References[]

^ "People's Delegation of Finland". World Statesmen. Retrieved 27 November 2021.
^ "Organisation of the Red administration". Bank of Finland. 6 February 2018. Retrieved 27 November 2021.
^ ^a ^b ^c Rinta-Tassi, Osmo (1986). Kansanvaltuuskunta punaisen Suomen hallituksena [The People's Delegation as the Government of Red Finland]. Helsinki: State Printing Center ; Ministry of Education. pp. 151–158, 558–559. ISBN 951-86007-9-1.

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[1] "People's Delegation of Finland". World Statesmen. Retrieved 27 November 2021.

[2] "Organisation of the Red administration". Bank of Finland. 6 February 2018. Retrieved 27 November 2021.

[Rinta-Tassi-3] Rinta-Tassi, Osmo (1986). Kansanvaltuuskunta punaisen Suomen hallituksena [The People's Delegation as the Government of Red Finland]. Helsinki: State Printing Center ; Ministry of Education. pp. 151–158, 558–559. ISBN 951-86007-9-1.

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