Finland's Employment Fund has announced that it will start change negotiations that will affect the majority of its workers.
The Fund blamed the situation on anticipated budget shortfalls prompted by government plans to discontinue the Fund's adult education programme subsidy, which are scheduled to go into effect this summer.
The Employment Fund collects unemployment insurance contributions and uses that money for workers' unemployment security, adult education benefits, pension security and pay security.
In a press release on Thursday, the Fund said that if the government's plans go ahead, it will have a significant impact on its operations and on the amount of work available.
Most staff members affected
It said that 156 of its 182 employees are in the scope of the change negotiations and the Fund's reorganisation plans. It said the planned measures could lead to the termination and possible dismissal of a maximum of 80 current job descriptions.
It said the possible changes most concern its customer- and HR-communication service units. Those and other units affected by the negotiations may also see changes to job descriptions or that full-time jobs switch to part-time. The plans may also involve changes in job titles, unit structures and reporting chains, according to the Fund's release.
The Employment Fund's CEO, Janne Metsämäki, characterised the impact of the change negotiations as significant.
"What makes the situation difficult for both the employer and employees is that the [government's] legislative work is in progress and their effects would take effect in the long term during the years 2024–2026," Metsämäki said in the release.
The Fund is supervised by FIN-FSA, the Finnish Financial Supervisory Authority, and is part of the social affairs and health ministry's administrative branch.
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