Efforts to streamline operations and tighten budgets are underway at Nordic food agencies, with Finland’s Food Authority (Ruokavirasto) facing significant job losses and strikes disrupting services in Norway.
In Finland, the Food Authority anticipates terminating the contracts of 93 employees as part of cost-saving initiatives. The dismissals, slated for completion by November 30, 2024, mark a reduction from initial forecasts, which had estimated up to 143 positions at risk. To stabilize finances, the agency plans to suspend non-essential personnel for a two-week period later this year, except for those engaged in meat inspection duties, necessitating adjustments in job roles.
Leena Räsänen, CEO of the Finnish Food Authority, underscored the need for fiscal prudence, citing a projected imbalance between expenditures and state funding from 2024 to 2028. Despite prior austerity measures, sustained financial viability requires further economies, likely impacting service delivery across various functions. In addition to workforce reductions, the agency aims to curtail expenditures on investments, travel, and procurement.
Streamlining efforts extend to task optimization and organizational restructuring across the agency’s 20 locations, which collectively employ approximately 1,000 experts. With a 2024 operating budget of €79.5 million ($86.5 million), the Food Authority aims to realize savings of €4.4 million ($4.8 million) this year, escalating to €10 million ($10.9 million) annually from 2025 to 2028.
Criticism has been leveled at the agency’s approach by labor unions, including JUKO, Trade Union Pro, and the Trade Union for the Public and Welfare Sectors (JHL), citing concerns over staff welfare and outsourcing plans for IT services. Tapani Lyytikäinen of JUKO decried the proposed measures as disproportionate, lacking a sustainable economic strategy.
Meanwhile, in Norway, the Norwegian Food Safety Authority (Mattilsynet) grappled with strikes involving nearly 300 employees. The industrial action, which caused disruptions in slaughterhouse operations and border controls, prompted intervention by Minister of Labour and Social Inclusion Tonje Brenna to end the standoff. Despite the return of employees to work, the strike’s aftermath led to service backlogs, impacting poultry and pork production, as well as veterinary inspections at border posts and seafood exports.
The ramifications of the strikes extend to animal welfare, food security, and economic repercussions for farmers and producers, underscoring the critical role of food safety agencies in safeguarding public health and agricultural integrity.
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