The Helsinki Regional Transport Authority HSL stated on Monday that up to 48 employees may face termination or dismissal, while up to 99 may have role changes with new positions offered to avoid layoffs.

Transport services ordered by HSL will continue during negotiations. If you thought that the drivers were employed by HSL, they are not. (They work for private bus companies or transport operators that are HSL’s contractual partners.)

The negotiations will involve the entire HSL organization regarding task reorganization under management authority.

In today’s meeting, the HSL Board decided to start the cooperation negotiations because of production challenges, financial concerns and operational restructuring.

“Enhancing internal efficiency” is one of the key productivity goals for the years between 2026 and 2029, as per the news release. Reducing reliance on municipal subsidies is another and according to HSL “rising costs have surpassed ticket revenue amid a challenging economic environment impacting owners.”

The negotiations are set to begin on March 16 and are expected to last six weeks until April 27.

The work with reduced and reorganized staff will commence on June 1.