Espoo proposes staff talks targeting up to 300 person-years

Espoo City Board is being asked to approve the start of co-operation negotiations covering the city’s entire workforce, Yle reports.

The talks are proposed to begin on September 2 and would involve about 11,000 employees. They would last at least six weeks and could target reductions of up to 300 person-years.

Teaching and education staff in basic education, upper secondary education and early childhood education would be excluded from the personnel reductions. This would leave about 8,000 positions outside the reduction measures.

Other possible savings measures could affect about 1,000 employees. Potential personnel impacts include organisational changes, the reorganisation of operations, dismissals, part-time work and temporary layoffs.

The negotiations aim to achieve annual savings of up to 10 million euros in personnel costs.

The proposal will be considered at a City Board meeting on August 10.

Espoo is seeking to balance its finances and has identified a total adjustment need of about 220 million euros. The city is aiming for average annual effects of about 70 million euros between 2027 and 2029.

The City of Vantaa also said on Thursday that it may launch co-operation negotiations.