North Savo welfare region to initiate cooperation negotiations to address €14.6 million personnel cost savings

The North Savo welfare region is set to commence cooperation negotiations, confirmed during a meeting of the regional council on Monday. The aim of these negotiations is to achieve savings of €14.6 million in personnel costs. This will be partly achieved through potential reductions in staff, targeting an estimated 200 full-time equivalent positions, which would equate to around €10 million in savings.

The negotiations will affect all employees within the welfare region, with potential measures including part-time contracts, layoffs, or dismissals. Additionally, the arrangements concerning employees’ work locations, job descriptions, and work hours may also be reviewed.

Currently, the North Savo welfare region employs about 12,800 staff members. The organization aims to implement changes in a manner that ensures neither customer nor patient safety is compromised and that essential services remain secure. The initiative is driven by financial pressures and the need to reform the service system, impacting staff management.

The welfare region anticipates a projected deficit of up to €98 million for the current year, with the next year’s budget targeting a reduction of the deficit to approximately €57 million.

The cooperation negotiations are scheduled to begin on September 26, which is next Thursday, and are expected to last at least six weeks. Further updates will be provided as the situation develops.