The statutory change negotiations in the Forssa unit of HKScan’s meat business, launched in August by HKScan, have been concluded with an agreement between the negotiating parties. The parties have agreed that 23 jobs will be reduced in the end part departments of the production process in the Forssa unit and the changes in employment will concern 93 jobs. The job reductions will be implemented by the start of the investment between 2022 and 2024. A total of 116 people were affected by the change negotiations, covering a group of blue collar workers in the departments concerned.
Following the negotiations, HKScan has decided to make an investment of more than EUR 5 million in the meat packing and shipping departments in Forssa to improve the unit’s cost efficiency and competitiveness. The investment will include reorganisation of operations, staff adjustments and renewal of operating methods. With the investment and related development activities in Finland, HKScan aims to achieve total annual savings of more than EUR 2 million, which are expected to realise after the investment is completed by 2024 at the latest.
“The aim of increased automation levels in the Forssa unit is to clearly improve profitability. At the same time, the investment will strengthen the continuity of the unit’s operations. Forssa unit’s operations have been significantly developed through good cooperation between the management and entire staff over the past few years. This positive collaboration was also reflected in the constructive spirit of the negotiations now completed and in the conclusion of the negotiations with a joint agreement between the parties,” says Jari Leija, HKScan’s EVP, Business Unit Finland.
“In order to strengthen our competitiveness, we need to determinedly continue to improve the cost efficiency of our operations and find new ways to meet the needs of customers and consumers. Improving cost efficiency is particularly important now, when cost inflation has driven up costs sharply,” Leija says.
October 5, 2022 - HKScan