Nokian introduces flexible working deal for Finnish plant workers

Nokia, Finland – Nokian Tyres has introduced a flexibility agreement for employees of its in Nokia plant, offering them higher job security in return for new working patterns.

The company “signed an agreement with its personnel” at the end of January, according to a statement provided by Nokian to ERJ.

The flexibility agreement, it said, contains “a guarantee under which no lay-offs or redundancies will take place until June 30, 2018”.

The agreement also stipulates that working hours and the length of the working week can vary according to demand and season.

“In practice, less work is done around the turn of the year and more before tire-changing seasons,” the statement explained.

Under the new agreement Nokian will aim to adjust the number of its products to meet the demand while avoiding lay-offs.

This, said CEO Ari Lehtoranta, is expected to “increase the plant’s flexibility, improve the management of product range [and] create better conditions for growth and competitiveness.”

Nokian said that it has invested on average €45 million a year in its Finnish operations, and that it planned to continue the same level of investments in the near future.