Protest strike shuts down two Metso Paper factories

Paper machine manufacturer reports improved result

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A strike on Thursday shut down the Järvenpää and Hollola units of the paper machine manufacturer Metso Paper.
      Work is to resume in Järvenpää on Monday, and in Hollola already today.
      On Thursday the employees at Metso learned the result of discussions between management and labour on the need to cut back on personnel. In Järvenpää 87 of the approximately 300 jobs at the plant, which manufactures paper finishing equipment, are set to be cut. At the Hollola unit, which produces paper roll handling equipment, 18 jobs out of 120 are to be eliminated.
     
Metso has announced plans to eliminate up to 1,300 jobs around Finland. About 700 employees are to be made redundant, while the rest of the jobs are to be outsourced.
      The first announcements of job reductions came in Jyväskylä earlier this week, where 123 jobs are to be cut.
     
The Metso Concern has not been doing well in recent years. However, the company’s third quarter results, which were announced on Thursday, indicate declining losses, and the company’s CEO Jorma Eloranta welcomed signs of an improvement.
      New orders have been received in the third quarter, but the company nevertheless suffers from overcapacity.
      Eloranta says that there are problems especially with paperboard manufacturing equipment, in which the company’s competitor Voith has come out ahead.
      In spite of the improved figures, Metso’s result so far this year has been EUR three million in the red. This is a considerable improvement over last year’s losses of about EUR 300 million.


Previously in HS International Edition:
  Metso Paper initiates job cuts in Jyväskylä (26.10.2004)
  Metso Paper warns of major layoffs in Jyväskylä (20.10.2004)

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