Council delays salary harmonization plan completion in Pirkanmaa region until 2028

The process of standardizing salaries in the Pirkanmaa well-being region is experiencing delays. Following a recent vote, the regional council approved a revised salary harmonization plan, extending the completion deadline to the end of 2028, significantly later than the initially expected deadline of 2025. Salary harmonization aims to ensure that employees performing similar or equally demanding jobs receive the same pay and that the criteria for determining salaries are consistent across comparable positions.

The council has agreed to prioritize low-wage professional groups in the harmonization process, provided financial and human resources allow for a speedy implementation. Aija Tuimala, the new HR director for the Pirkanmaa region, highlights several reasons for the need for more time. The region is grappling with financial challenges, and the initial conditions are more complex compared to many other areas, primarily because personnel from 23 different municipalities and a hospital district have transitioned to the Pirkanmaa organization. Each of these entities had its own salary system, creating a considerable task for harmonization.

Moreover, Tuimala indicates that the ongoing overhaul of the national salary system, affecting most employees, complicates the situation further. Updates to the salary structure are currently under negotiation, with results expected by summer. Importantly, this reform does not include medical professionals, as their salary system has already been updated.

Tuimala expresses hope that the harmonization will be concluded before the 2028 deadline, as it is crucial for making the well-being region an attractive employer. Challenges surrounding the integration of salaries were anticipated even prior to the establishment of the well-being regions in 2022, with forecasts indicating the process would be costly and complicated.