Pro News

Employees of Danish-owned Danske Bank began a walkout this afternoon in Helsinki. According to the personnel their move is in protest at wildly overscale management plans to axe dozens of jobs at the company. The protest will end at 10 PM tonight.

Danske Bank began cooperation negotiations on April 10, aiming to terminate up to 69 jobs. The employer-employee negotiations affect 268 people in total.

–  The planned cuts are oversized and premature. The employer hasn’t presented us with a credible reason to downsize. The behaviour of customers has not changed in a way that would warrant these redundancies, says chief shop steward Aino Huuhti.

–  If there was a true decrease in the amount of work to be seen at the company, these plans could be somewhat easier to comprehend, Huuhti continues.

Eight units will be involved in the personnel negotiations: Personal Banking, Business Banking, Business Banking/Housing, Payment Services, two Debt Collection teams, Digital Engagement Channels, Markets IRD, FX and Alpha Finland.

Up to 69 jobs to be slashed in Finland

Personnel have been planned to be cut all around Finland, as the bank aims to focus the work to service centers in Finland and abroad. Danske Bank has already moved some of its back office functions to be handled in Lithuania.

We, who represent the personnel at the negotiations, haven’t gotten all the essential information we need to truly negotiate, chief shop steward Huuhti points out.

–  I worry for those who will continue to work for Danske Bank after the planned lay-offs have been made. Increased pressure and chronic work stress can be overwhelming — and harmful to both physical and emotional health, says chief shop steward Huuhti.

Pro's local chapter at Danske Bank (Danske Bankin henkilöstöyhdistys Pro ry) is doing everything in its power to minimize personnel cuts.

Danske Bank has about 1,800 employees in Finland. According to the bank’s annual report, the year 2016 was another year of solid progress for them. The Danske Bank Plc Group’s profit before taxes for the full financial year 2016 remained at the same level as previous year and totaled EUR 210.3 million. The result was EUR 171.0 million.