Metsähallitus plans job cuts and outsourcing at Haltia nature centre

Metsähallitus plans to reduce staff and outsource some services at the Haltia Nature Centre in Espoo, while its exhibitions and school visits are set to continue in a different form, Yle reports.

The organisation’s Nature Services will begin change negotiations on Tuesday, October 13. The talks, which concern customer services across Finland and at Haltia, could lead to up to 12 jobs ending and substantial changes to the employment terms of 13 other staff members.

At Haltia, some activities may be bought in from external providers rather than carried out by the centre’s own employees, deputy director Samuli Sillman said. He said the changes are not expected to be visible to visitors. The centre receives about 150,000 visitors a year.

The negotiations are part of efforts to meet government productivity targets as funding declines. Metsähallitus needs to adjust its costs by about five million euros by 2030 and is aiming for permanent annual savings of around one million euros through the talks, Sillman said.

Chief shop steward Pia-Maria Thomssen said staff representatives hope to reduce the impact of possible redundancies and find other ways to save money. She questioned whether outsourcing would necessarily be more cost-effective, noting that external staff would need to be supervised and trained.

The negotiations are expected to conclude by early November, after which final decisions will be made.