Telia Finland plans to cut 355 jobs as part of a major restructuring that will affect approximately 900 positions across the telecommunications group’s Nordic and Baltic operations.
The company announced on Monday, 12 October, that around 2,050 positions in Finland would be covered by restructuring negotiations expected to last six weeks. The proposed changes are part of a wider effort by parent company Telia Company to simplify its organisation, reduce overlapping functions and give its national subsidiaries greater responsibility for their operations.
Despite the planned job cuts, Telia expects to create approximately 75 new positions in Finland. A further 50 roles are expected to transfer from the parent company to the Finnish subsidiary as responsibilities shift away from central group functions.
The proposed changes are intended to bring decision-making closer to customers and individual markets. By giving its national businesses more authority over daily operations and business development, Telia aims to respond more quickly to changing customer needs and market conditions.
Telia Finland chief executive Holger Haljand said the company wanted to strengthen its reputation for quality, security and customer service.
“Our goal is for Telia to be known for quality, security and an excellent customer experience,” Haljand said in a company statement.
He added that changing customer expectations meant the company needed to improve its ability to respond quickly.
The restructuring is part of a broader cost-saving programme at Telia Company, which aims to achieve annual gross savings of approximately one billion Swedish kronor, equivalent to more than 89 million euros. Across the group, the proposed changes could eliminate around 900 positions while transferring approximately 220 roles from central functions to national subsidiaries.
Telia operates telecommunications businesses across the Nordic and Baltic countries. Under the proposed reorganisation, its national units would take on more operational responsibilities, reducing their reliance on centralised group functions.
In Finland, the changes are expected to bring new responsibilities to the local business while requiring adjustments to existing organisational structures and working practices. However, Telia has not identified the departments or locations that would be affected by the proposed job reductions.
The six-week negotiations will determine how the changes could be implemented in Finland. Until the process is completed, the final impact on employees and the distribution of job cuts across the organisation remain unclear.
