Finland: Minister of Employment Tuula Haatainen to visit Kemi 

NordenBladet — Minister of Employment Tuula Haatainen will visit Kemi on Tuesday 27 April. The Minister will meet Stora Enso’s management and personnel as well as representatives of the City of Kemi and the region, the ELY Centre, the TE Office and the Regional Council of Lapland.

The visit will be arranged in line with the health safety guidelines.Stora Enso announced on 20 April that it intends to shut down its Veitsiluoto paper and pulp mill in Kemi. The closure will result in a reduction of 670 jobs and will therefore have wide-ranging economic impact on the region. Immediately after the announcement, the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment and the regional authorities launched measures to help the Kemi region in the sudden structural change and to support the workers who will be made redundant.

Immediate assessment of sudden structural change and measures to support re-employment of workers
Sudden structural change refers to a situation where an employer or sector of regional or national significance makes redundant a large number of employees at once, as a result of bankruptcy or extensive adjustment measures.

Various employment, economic and regional development measures that are specific to the situation aim to prevent a recession of the regional economy. These measures help create new jobs, renew old ones and promote re-employment of those made redundant as quickly as possible.

The Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment and the regional authorities will begin to assess the situation immediately after the company’s announcement. Measures to support the re-employment and wellbeing of employees will also start right away. The regional TE Office will agree on practical arrangements for change security with the company.

The management of a sudden and continuous structural change is driven by regions. If a region is well prepared for a sudden structural change, the measures introduced by the State and the region itself to manage the situation will be more effective. The Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment will assess any additional measures and funding provided by the Government.