Central Finland wellbeing services county faces up to 570 job cuts

Central Finland wellbeing services county will launch new cooperation negotiations that could reduce staffing by up to 570 person-years, Yle reports. The county board will discuss the matter on August 18.

The negotiations are being started as the county prepares next year’s budget and continues its cost-cutting measures. The county must save about 60 million euros next year.

The county has accumulated a deficit of 308 million euros from previous years, which it must cover by 2030.

The negotiations will cover the entire organisation and all staff. The county employs about 12,500 people, and the potential reduction is among the largest it has faced so far.

About 250 employees retire from the county each year, while total staff turnover is around 600 employees annually. The county said this means job opportunities will also become available during the negotiations.

In future, employees’ work area would cover the entire wellbeing services county. The county will also continue reforming its management system as part of the negotiations.

The previous cooperation negotiations ended in November last year. The upcoming talks will be the ninth since the county began operating.

Forecast shows small surplus

The county’s latest forecast indicates that its finances will show a surplus of about 7.1 million euros this year. That is slightly better than the 4.1 million euro surplus forecast in the supplementary budget approved in June.

The county’s annual expenditure is 1.4 billion euros, making the forecast surplus small in relation to its total spending.

Wellbeing services county director Piia Vuorela said the finances were on course to meet the budget, but there was no room for unexpected costs. She said costs are known to be concentrated towards the end of the year, creating uncertainty in the forecast.