Espoo and Vantaa are set to begin cooperation negotiations that may threaten 500 jobs.

The potential loss of hundreds of city employees may adversely affect services for residents in the capital region. Even if positions are eliminated, the work itself will still need to be accomplished, which could increase the workload on the remaining staff.

Håkan Ekström, the president of Trade Union JHL, remarked in a release, “Libraries, sports facilities and concert halls cannot operate without skilled staff. The residents of Espoo and Vantaa and the employees of these cities are going to be the victims who suffer from these reductions.”

In addition to layoffs, both Espoo and Vantaa may consider implementing extensive temporary layoffs. Some employees may see their full-time roles transitioned to part-time, and there could be changes to the terms and conditions of employment relationships.

Despite the City of Espoo reporting strong financial results last year, with a surplus exceeding €110, the city is targeting savings of €10 million through these cooperation negotiations.

According to JHL, childcare and teaching staff in both cities are excluded from potential layoffs or redundancies.

Vantaa will begin its cooperation negotiations on August 18, while Espoo will follow suit on September 2.