HSL to terminate 38 jobs after collective negotiations

Helsinki Regional Transport (HSL) will terminate 38 employment contracts following collective bargaining talks, though the number was reduced by ten during negotiations, Finnish public broadcaster Yle reports.

The negotiations, which covered HSL’s entire workforce of 433 employees, ended without agreement, according to the trade union organisation Juko. The talks were prompted by operational, financial, and restructuring needs.

Initially, up to 48 terminations and 99 significant job changes were proposed. After negotiations, the number of terminations was reduced to 38, while 52 employees will face substantial changes to their roles. The new organisational structure will take effect in early June.

Juko’s chief representative, Pekka Räty, expressed disappointment with the outcome, stating that employee representatives had sought to avoid layoffs and reduced job demands. He warned that workload concerns and potential further terminations remain unresolved.

Räty noted that while some employees may be reassigned within the organisation, the risk of increased workload and diminished well-being persists. He also cautioned that refusal to accept modified job descriptions could lead to additional terminations.

Despite the reductions in planned changes, Räty described the decrease from nearly 100 to around 50 affected employees as a partial success.