The Nordic food agencies are facing job losses; strikes

It appears that more than ninety people will lose their jobs at the Finnish Food Authority (Ruokavirasto) as part of savings plans.

The agency estimates it will have to terminate the employment of 93 people. The layoffs are expected to take place before September 30 and no later than November 30, 2024. This is better than an initial estimate in April that up to 143 jobs were at risk.

The Finnish Food Authority said it plans to suspend all its staff, except those carrying out meat inspection duties, for two weeks sometime later this year. The move also means changes in job responsibilities.

Smarter operations
Leena Räsänen, CEO of the Finnish Food Authority, said the aim is to stabilize the agency’s finances.

“Between 2024 and 2028, the Food Agency’s expenditure will exceed the resources from the state budget and income financing. Despite past savings and identified savings opportunities, the agency’s economic situation will be weak in the coming years, and achieving equilibrium will require additional savings in the agency’s operating costs. Cuts will inevitably impact the Food Agency’s capabilities in various functions. As resources decrease, we cannot completely avoid declining service levels.”

In addition to layoffs and redundancies, the authority is seeking other savings by looking at investments, travel costs and purchasing of services.

The Finnish Food Authority plans to reduce and streamline its tasks, activities and functions in all operational units. The agency employs approximately 1,000 experts in various fields across 20 locations. Funding for operating expenses in 2024 amounts to €79.5 million ($86.5 million).

The agency needs to find about €4.4 million ($4.8 million) in savings by 2024. In line with the proposals for 2025 to 2028, the target is to achieve annual savings of €10 million ($10.9 million) in operating costs.

JUKO, Trade Union Pro and the Public and Welfare Sector Trade Union (JHL) criticized the food agency for its unwillingness to avoid cuts that will affect staffing and outsourcing plans for IT services.

Tapani Lyytikäinen from JUKO (the negotiating body for public sector professionals) said the proposed actions were “disproportionate” and did not help achieve permanent economic balance.

Impact of strikes in Norway
Meanwhile, in Norway, almost 300 employees of the Norwegian Food Safety Authority (Mattilsynet) recently went on strike.

The authority warned of a backlog in services and case processing following industrial action by 287 staff, all of whom have now returned to work. Areas affected include duties in slaughterhouses and border controls.

The Federation of Norwegian Professional Associations (Akademikerne) said the Minister of Labor and Social Inclusion, Tonje Brenna, has called off the strike.

The strike action affected about half of all chicken and turkey production in Norway, affecting up to 30 percent of total pig production. The Norwegian Food Safety Authority said issues include animal welfare, food supply, food waste and economic impacts on farmers and producers.

Some border checkpoints had reduced the capacity of veterinarians to carry out checks on animals and animal products entering Norway, and there was also an impact on the issuance of seafood export certificates.

The Norwegian Food Safety Authority said it could not handle and investigate incidents and urgent matters such as outbreaks. It was also unable to respond to immediate reporting of incidents involving food and feed in other European countries.

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