Fennovoima will lay off about 350 people, the company announced on Wednesday, and the layoffs will take place during the year.
"Most workers will be laid off next week, by the end of June," Fennovoima’s Vice President, Human Resources Eija Salo explained to Yle.
At the beginning of 2023, the company will have less than 10 employees after deductions.
Fennovoima began negotiations with its personnel in accordance with the Cooperation Act in May, when the company terminated the Rosatom agreement. Fennovoima will reduce its operations sharply as a result of the negotiations.
"We all came to Fennovoima to build the Hanhikivi 1 project and to build a nuclear power plant in the public interest in Finland. The fact that we had to end the project was inevitable, and I know this decision will affect us all. We are all sad about the end of the project," said Fennovoima’s CEO Joachim Specht in a press release.
Expert employment is a concern for the future
Fennovoima has employed a total of about 450 people. During the busiest times, several hundred employees worked on the Pyhäjoki Hanhikivi 1 project.
Fennovoima has shifted its focus to site maintenance when construction work stops.
Esa HerralaFennovoima’s shop steward in Pyhäjoki said that Pyhäjoki had about 70-80 employees, mainly from the area between Raahe and Kalajoki. There have also been many foreign workers.
"Yes, my heart is especially close to them and their families. Hopefully, they will find jobs in the surrounding areas and in Finland, as this project attracted top experts in the nuclear field. I hope that the demand for nuclear power workers will be here and that these top experts will be employed in Finland and stay here with their families," Herrala told Yle.
By Mari TuomikoskiService Director of the Employment and Economic Development Office of Northern Ostrobothnia, there is now a demand for these people in the labor market.
"Fortunately, there is currently a situation where employers are recruiting and there are enough jobs in our area. In that sense, the situation could be worse," Tuomikoski told Yle.
As many former Fennovoima employees turn to new employment opportunities, it is still difficult for a large number of employees with a foreign background to find work. Language proficiency requirements have proven to be a barrier for many of these foreign workers, many of whom are top nuclear experts.
Source: The Nordic Page