City of Espoo’s cooperation negotiations to begin on 2 September
As part of its budget-balancing efforts, the City of Espoo will begin cooperation negotiations concerning its entire staff. The aim is to achieve savings of up to EUR 10 million in staff costs. The first negotiation meeting between the employer and employee representatives will take place on 2 September 2026.
The cooperation negotiations concern all City of Espoo employees, i.e. approximately 11,000 people. As the preparations have progressed, the city now estimates that staff reductions of up to 250 person-years are required over the 2027–2029 planning period. Of these, up to 130 employees may face dismissal or significant changes to their employment terms.
The city will use all available means to achieve the planned staff reductions, including dismissals on financial and production-related grounds, retirements, closing vacant positions, not renewing fixed-term contracts, voluntary transfers to other positions, and normal staff turnover.
Staff reductions will generally not be proposed for teaching and childcare staff working in comprehensive, general upper secondary and early childhood education (including day care centres and residents’ parks). Thus, approximately 8,000 employees and office-holders, representing more than two-thirds of the city’s workforce, will be excluded from any staff reductions.
The scope and targeting of the measures will be further specified during the cooperation negotiations.
On 10 August 2026, the City Board decided to initiate cooperation negotiations as part of the city’s budget-balancing efforts.
Cooperation negotiations to last at least six weeks
The first cooperation negotiation meeting between the employer and employee representatives (chief shop stewards) will take place on 2 September 2026. The negotiations will last at least six weeks and will therefore end no earlier than 14 October 2026. Any decisions concerning staff-related measures will be made after the negotiations have been completed. The employer will implement the measures as soon as possible after the conclusion of the negotiations, and the aim is to carry out most actions by the end of 2026.
The negotiations will address the grounds for, impacts of and alternatives to potential measures to reduce staff costs in the 2027 budget and during the current council term. The purpose of the cooperation procedure is to ensure that employees and their representatives have the opportunity to receive information, engage in dialogue and influence decisions being planned by the employer before those decisions are made.