Tampere seeks huge savings at employees’ expense: “As far as we know, the city doesn’t have any unnecessary employees”

The city of Tampere starts today, 18 August, enormous cooperation negotiations that concern all employees working for the city. Planned cutbacks threaten 200 jobs and the basic public services of the city residents.

The quality of the residents’ daily life in Tampere may drop next year if the city carries out its plans for big personnel reductions. All city employees are subject to cooperation negotiations. At the end of the year 2024, Tampere had a little under 9,000 employees, and now up to 200 city employees may lose their jobs.

JHL’s Chief Executive Officer Mari Keturi thinks that the city is downplaying the effects of the planned personnel cuts.

– They use words like interface to the residents and efficiency improvements. But really cutbacks as drastic as these will mean things like even less staff at schools and daycare centres, and the people in Tampere will get less in return for their tax money.   Dismissing 200 people will inevitably have a negative effect on services, Keturi emphasises.

Keturi also finds it hard to understand that the city wants to avoid temporary lay-offs because it seeks permanent savings. This can lead to more terminations of employment because any savings are not achieved by the means of temporary lay-offs.

– Productivity can be improved without reducing employees by developing processes, eliminating unnecessary steps and making use of technology. When the employees’ skills are strengthened and they can influence their work and be involved in developing it, motivation and commitment increase. That way it is also possible to find cost savings together.

Keturi criticises the city’s Mayor’s Programme, in which tax increases are considered to be only the last resort in fixing the city’s finances.

– Is even a small tax increase really the greater evil compared to poorer services for all city residents?

JHL’s Chief Shop Steward Päivi Karjalainen says that the budget has been squeezed constantly.

 However, now the city demands permanent savings.  

– All possible savings have already been sought in the services earlier, and they are not enough.

The city executives seek a reduction of 10 million euros in personnel costs in the budget for the year 2026. Karjalainen says that the changes and measures required for the savings are expected to have wide-ranging effects on the entire city workforce.

- We have discussed and feared that now savings can be taken from anywhere. As far as we know, the city doesn’t have any unnecessary or redundant jobs or employees. Employee representatives have already looked for savings with the employer this year. Suggestions on cutting costs have also been asked from the employees.    

Karjalainen tells that at the moment the employees are fearful of what is coming and what their own future will be.

Karjalainen is certain that the city residents will see the consequences of the savings in their services.

The cooperation negotiations of the city of Tampere will go on for at least six weeks, and the goal of the city is that the possible changes will take effect at the latest on 1 July 2026.