The turnover negotiations will result in the termination of approximately 800 staff members at Helsinki and Uusimaa District Hospital (HUS).

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The Finnish Union of Health and Social Care Professionals (Tehy) expressed strong criticism of the result change negotiations concluded today by the Helsinki and Uusimaa Hospital District (HUS).

Tehy issued a statement saying the negotiations will result in the termination of employment for approximately 800 employees, most of whom are health care workers.

According to the health workers’ union Tehy, the situation could worsen if certain employees refuse to accept relocation to new locations in Uusimaa, which may lead to further layoffs. In addition, the planned layoffs of department secretaries will transfer their duties to the remaining health staff, significantly increasing their workload.

“HUS is unable to assess its operations as a whole. Different units are making changes with their eyes closed and no one is taking responsibility for the entire organization,” President Tehy. Millariikka Rytkönen said in a statement.

“If these plans go ahead as outlined, it will create an unprecedented mess and healthcare workers will bear the brunt, contrary to what the employer initially advocated.”

Tehy announced his intention to investigate the legality of the process, claiming that HUS did not fully comply with legal requirements during the negotiations.

The Public Sector and Social Care Union (JHL) also criticized the redundancies. The JHL chair Håkan Ekström said it was inconceivable that cutting hundreds of staff would not affect the quality of care.

HUS aims to achieve annual savings of 50 million euros. Previous reports indicated restructuring talks involved up to 28,000 employees, with a cut target of around 990 full-time equivalent positions.

CEO HUS Matti Bergendahl previously told Yle that the layoffs were inevitable due to significant budget constraints. HUS has also faced a persistent shortage of nurses, exacerbating the pressure on its health system.