The cooperation negotiations may end up costing the City of Turku more than the amount of the planned savings, warns JHL’s Chief Executive Officer Mari Keturi

The City of Turku starts cooperation negotiations on 17 September. The city wants to achieve savings of approximately 10.8 million euros in personnel costs. The cutbacks endanger the employees’ coping and wellbeing at work, criticises JHL’s Chief Executive Officer Mari Keturi.

Trade Union JHL condemns the cooperation negotiations planned by the City of Turku. They threaten to take away at worst more than 180 city jobs. Other potential consequences on personnel include shifting to part-time work, temporary layoffs and cutting employee benefits. The plan is to carry out the savings during year 2025.

– The planned reductions will significantly undermine the employees’ coping and wellbeing at work. The effects will be seen in the quality of services provided for the people of Turku, says JHL’s Chief Executive Officer Mari Keturi.

JHL warns that personnel reductions, shifts to part-time work and layoffs will probably increase the workload of the remaining employees.

JHL’s chief shop steward at the City of Turku, Maarit Salonen, tells that the invitation to cooperation negotiations did not come as a surprise for the personnel.

– The personnel do not feel good about this at all. We do not have any unnecessary employees at work here.

According to preliminary information, the cooperation negotiations concern the entire personnel of the City, but the intention is to keep early childhood education and care and education safe, Salonen tells. However, she does not believe that even they will be entirely safe.

– It’s possible, for example, that groups get bigger.

The cooperation negotiations may also have a negative effect on the image of the city and on its inhabitants’ satisfaction.

– Cutbacks in employee benefits and poorer working conditions will make the City of Turku a less attractive employer. This can make it harder for the city to recruit and retain skilled workforce, Keturi reminds.

JHL finds that the savings planned by the City of Turku may save money in the short term, but their long-term effects can be costly for the city.

– Poorer employee wellbeing and a drop in employee retention are very probably going to lead to higher costs in the future, Keturi states.

JHL finds it strange that Turku does not do more to increase its revenue. The city is going to propose for example raising its municipal tax rate from 6.9% to 7.1%. Nevertheless, it seems that there is not enough revenue to cover the financial needs of the city.

– The city has extensive investment plans, but without a growth strategy it may not get the full benefits from the investments, Keturi states.

More information:
Mari Keturi, Chief Executive Officer, mari.keturi@jhl.fi, + 358 50 461 9315
Maarit Salonen, Chief Shop Steward, maarit.s.salonen@turku.fi, + 358 44 9073606