Metso has announced that it will start personnel negotiations regarding permanent employee reductions and temporary lay-offs in the Finnish operations of Metso’s Automation business line. The negotiations affect the entire personnel of the Flow Control business unit, which manufactures industrial valves, and Automation business line’s shared administration and support functions. In the Process Automation Systems business unit the negotiations primarily target the personnel working in the paper and pulp industry function in Finland. The negotiations affect a total of about 1400 blue-collar and white-collar employees and are estimated to result in the reduction of a total of some 120-160 permanent positions. Additionally, the temporary lay-off negotiations targeting the Flow Control business unit and the shared functions of Automation are estimated to affect 90-150 people. The primary reason for the adjustment need is due to the reduced demand resulting from the permanent structural change in the paper and pulp industry as well as the delayed investments by energy industry customers in virtually every market area as a result of the global economic crisis.
