Sad feelings :(

I am very sad because of these news . . . It touch upon our family too . . .

UPM and Stora Enso Cut Thousands of Jobs
Published 10.09.2008, 12.09 (updated 11.09.2008, 10.56)
Image: YLE
Forest products companies UPM and Stora Enso announced significant job cuts in Finland and abroad. The government met Wednesday evening in a special session to consider measures to help communities worst hit by the plant closures.So did the city council in the eastern town of Kajaani, which will lose the plant that has been the backbone of the local economy for decades. Kajaani's big paper mill makes mostly newsprint, for which demand has fallen.On Thursday, UPM management met with Kajaani city representatives to discuss planned plant closures and job cuts. Prime Minister Matti Vanhanen said the government will set up crisis groups to help towns most affected by the mill closures. These groups will seek to find new work for those made redundant. UPM announced Wednesday that it intends to close down paper and pulp mills over the next two years, cutting 1,600 jobs in the process. The company plans to chop 1,100 jobs in Finland and 500 abroad.UPM plans to mothball the Kajaani paper mill in eastern Finland as well as the Tervasaari pulp mill in Valkeakoski by the end of this year. The plant closures will affect 535 workers in Kajaani and 150 in Valkeakoski. The plants currently employ 670 and 640 workers respectively.In Valkeakoski, about 500 UPM employees walked off the job on Wednesday to protest the closing of the pulp mill there by year's end. The strike is expected to continue until Friday afternoon.The other job reductions in Finland and overseas are expected to affect clerical and production employees. The company also aims to improve efficiency in its European adhesive operations over the next two years. Possible job redundancies resulting from that program were not included in the figures released on Wednesday. Stora Enso to Discontinue Unprofitable OperationsMeanwhile Stora Enso also announced plans to discontinue operations at unproductive plants in Finland. The plant closures will affect 550 workers in Finland. Altogether the streamlining program will cut 1,700 jobs.The company will slash 600 jobs in Germany, along with 400 wood procurement positions in Russia and 150 in other countries. The reorganisation of operations will reduce output to the tune of 600,000 tonnes of paper and 170,000 cubic metres of timber. An additional 1,450 employees in Finland are to be transferred into a "new maintenance joint venture" operation. Stora Enso also announced that discussions on the sale of its Kotka plant were inconclusive, leaving the operation still on the company's hands.The company's Inkeroinen plant will receive additional investment to help build up operations and improve the quality and capacity of its cardboard output.Stora Enso says the planned changes will result in improved operating profits of about 140 million euros annually by the end of 2010.YLE