HaminaKotka port puts up to 22 jobs at risk

HaminaKotka Satama Oy has begun restructuring talks that could put up to 22 jobs at risk, about a third of the port company’s workforce, Yle reports.

The talks mainly affect employees who handle mooring and unmooring ships. Chief executive Eija Rossi said the end of Russian fertilizer shipments was a key reason for the negotiations. The shipments stopped after Russia increased customs duties on them eightfold in early summer.

Russian fertilizer had previously been transported through the Vainikkala border crossing in Lappeenranta to Kotka, then shipped onward. Rossi said Russia’s war of aggression had significantly reduced traffic through the port.

A second factor is an EU port services regulation that is opening mooring and unmooring services to more competition. The work has so far been handled by the port company itself, but more competitors are entering the market, Rossi said.

The company is seeking alternatives with staff to reduce the number of jobs affected, Rossi said. The talks began in September and are still ongoing; she could not say when they would end.

HaminaKotka is Finland’s largest general port, and about 7,000 people work across the port areas in Hamina and Kotka. Port operator Steveco, based in Kotka, also announced restructuring talks last week, citing weak Finnish exports. The port’s operations have also been affected by reduced Russian traffic and tariff decisions by US President Donald Trump.