2205 workers to affect as UPM starts layoffs talks

The Finnish forest industry company UPM is preparing to adjust production temporarily in Finland and will start change negotiations on possible temporary layoffs, which will affect about 2205 employees, said UPM in a press release on Wednesday.

The negotiations will take place at UPM Pulp, UPM Timber, UPM Communication Papers and UPM Biofuels.

The negotiations are conducted to prepare for possible temporary adjustment of production in the Finnish units should the uncertainty in the operating environment continue.

The change negotiations on possible temporary layoffs concern all UPM pulp mills, sawmills, and graphic paper mills in Finland, as well as the Lappeenranta biorefinery.

The change negotiations cover about 780 employees at UPM Pulp Finnish operations, about 235 employees at UPM Timber sawmills, about 1,100 employees at UPM Communication Papers Finnish mills and about 90 employees at the UPM Biofuels Lappeenranta biorefinery.

The possible temporary layoffs could take place from 1 January until 30 June 2024 in UPM Pulp, UPM Timber and UPM Biofuels and from 1 March until 31 August 2024 in UPM Communication Papers.

Any temporary layoffs could be implemented in stages and would last a maximum of 90 days in total. Decisions on possible temporary layoffs will be made after the change negotiations have been concluded.

Earlier this year, UPM has also conducted change negotiations concerning temporary layoffs in UPM Specialty Papers, UPM Plywood, UPM Raflatac, UPM Biocomposites and UPM Raumacell.