The Imatra city government is presented with the initiation of a cooperation procedure

The background is the predicament of the municipal finances and the change in the group structure, which will result in a significant change in some of the personnel's duties.

Mayor Matias Hilden propose to the city government the initiation of cooperation negotiations.

The need for negotiations is based on the ongoing change in the group structure and financial reasons. The goal is to permanently strengthen the city's operating margin by 1,5 million euros.

It is estimated that the negotiations will lead to the dismissal of a maximum of 20 people.

— We hope that the number of layoffs will be lower. As far as possible, for example, retirements and job reorganizations are used, Hilden states.

The need for negotiation concerns the personnel of the parent city. The city proposes that the personnel involved in the practical education and teaching work of early childhood education and teaching be delimited outside the negotiations.

At this stage, the negotiations do not concern subsidiaries. The effects of the group structure on the subsidiaries will be clarified later.

The city government will discuss the motion to start cooperation negotiations on Monday, March 25.3. If the government decides to start cooperation negotiations, they will start in April. The negotiations are expected to last until autumn.

In the background, the economy and the change in the group structure

The need for cooperation negotiations is based on the goal of permanent cost savings of 1,5 million euros.

The outlook for municipal finances in the whole country is bad. Even in Imatra, the need to save has arisen from the combined effect of several factors. The state share system, which has changed with the welfare regions, creates pressure to save, and the large investments of recent years have increased the amount of debt. The background is also the decrease in the city's population and the consequent decrease in tax revenues.

In addition to financial reasons, the need for cooperation negotiations has arisen as a result of the ongoing work to change the group structure. The proposal for a new group structure will be presented to the city council on Monday, March 25.3. The structure is the frame on which the functions of the city group are built and organized.

The goal is to make the group's operations customer-oriented and to streamline operations and management.

—At this stage, it has not been outlined how the individual functions will be organized or which services we will produce ourselves. It is the turn of these discussions and decisions after a decision has been made about the structure. It is clear, however, that the job descriptions of some personnel will change, Hilden says.

Group structural change is promoted in cooperation with personnel.