Stora Enso is making good progress in finding solutions for employees affected by restructuring in Finland and Sweden. The Group has allocated 10 million Euros for support measures and has worked tirelessly to find alternative employment. These efforts are starting to pay off.
Initially, Stora Enso estimated that the amount of employees affected by mill closures and streamlining administration would be 1 700. Today the figure stands at 1 453 employees.
So far 855 people or 59% have been offered jobs in external companies, at other Stora Enso mills or retirement. The situation varies by location. Today, the best situation is at Kemijärvi, in northern Finland, where according to CEO Jouko Karvinen there is an employment or retirement solution for 96% of employees. The agreement with Anaika Group announced January has now been finalised, and they plan on employing 100 people.
The search continues
The situation in Kymeenlaakso is a bit more challenging. Solutions have been found for half of the people affected by the closure of Summa Mill and Anjala’s PM 1. A letter of intent was signed with maintenance provider Empower Oy in January. “We have a process in place in order to identify and test business ideas that could offer new employment opportunities to affected people. We are committed, in good cooperation with local authorities and other parties, to find a new job or an education for a new job opportunity for as many remaining affected people as possible,” says Aulis Ansaharju Stora Enso’s Country Manager in Finland.
At Norrsundet in Sweden there has been a constructive dialogue with the union during the whole process to find future employment. At present, 133 of 325 employees have already found alternative solutions in the form of new jobs, education or pension arrangements. One important initiative was the signing of a Letter of Intent earlier this year with the advanced industrial maintenance company EuroMaint Industry.
There is still time until the end of the year, when pulp production is scheduled to stop. Together with the union, we will continue devoting all our energy to finding new jobs, among other things through the establishment of new companies in Norrsundet,” says Christer Ågren, Stora Enso’s Country Manager in Sweden.
Currently, further 116 business and job ideas are under study and 37 parties are interested in creating employment opportunities. New ideas are being assessed by external consultants, and new requests are being sent out during April.
