1,190 workers to affect as Patria begins change negotiations

Defence arms company Patria will start change negotiations on August 14, which will affect about 1,190 employees mainly line managers and white-collar workers, said the company in a press release on Monday.

The change negotiations will last for a minimum of six weeks. The Patria Group companies that are included in the negotiations are Patria Oyj, Patria Aviation Oy, Patria Aerostructures Oy, Patricomp Oy and Patria Land Oy.

Patria’s Operations and Portfolio units as well as so-called group-level support functions in these companies are in the scope of negotiations.

As the planned changes in different units have an impact on each other, the negotiations in different units are held jointly, said the company.

Patria’s line managers and white-collar workers are in the scope of negotiations. The plans will not have an impact on blue-collar workers with the exception of workers in Patria Aviation Oy’s Engines, Components & Training Diesel Engines function in Linnavuori.

In addition, as part of Operations unit, Patria Pilot Training Oy and Patria Aviation Oy’s Military Pilot Training are not included in the scope of negotiations.

Patria estimates that the planned changes may lead to reorganisation, combination, change and reduction of tasks and related redundancies or relocation of employees to new positions as an alternative.

The total number of personnel in scope of the negotiation is about 1,190 and the estimated impacts include largely changes in tasks and reorganisation.

Millog Oy and its personnel, as part of the Patria Group, are not included in the scope of the negotiations. 

The integral changes will involve about 310 job roles. New job roles are expected to be opened in the planned organisation.

According to preliminary estimates, in total less than about 75 new job roles will be opened than job roles that are planned to be concluded.

In addition, redundancies may take place if there are employees who do not accept job offers for new roles. The negotiations will not involve temporary layoffs.  

In addition, were these plans to go ahead, the changes might have impacts on Patria’s operations outside Finland. For these operations the matter would be handled in accordance with local legal requirements in each country. 

In order to implement Patria’s Horizon 2025 growth strategy, Patria’s entire operating model changed significantly in the beginning of 2022.

Besides the feedback of Patria’s own personnel, the need to develop organizational structure further is also driven by customer feedback. Operating model’s development needs have been considered with the personnel during the spring and summer of 2023. Changes to the operating model are foreseen and those will be negotiated with the personnel in accordance with normal processes.

“We have had over 1½ years of experience with the existing operating model. During this time, we have discovered that we need to further improve our efficiency, operational activities and decision-making, in order to also improve both customer satisfaction and our profitability,” said Esa Rautalinko, Patria’s President and CEO.