At its meeting today, the regional board has decided to notify 900 employees in Region Östergötland of layoffs. The proposal has been negotiated with the trade unions in the region’s cooperation group.
– It is a regrettable but unfortunately unavoidable decision, says the regional board’s chairman Marie Morell (M). Region Östergötland is in an extremely challenging economic situation and the measures previously decided and ongoing have not had sufficient effect. On the contrary, the deficit in health and medical care continues to increase, and further efforts are required for us to be able to reverse the trend.
Health care’s result in 2023 is minus SEK 1,667 million. Despite various measures during the year to slow the cost development, the result during the autumn has deteriorated significantly.
Previously decided measures include employment freezes, phasing out of staffing companies and reduced personnel costs corresponding to 6 percent in health and medical care, as well as efficient purchases and restrictiveness and prioritization among investments. Likewise, the administrative organization within regional management and operational support has been reviewed and reduced. Assuming that the measures have full effect, they are expected to reduce costs, but they are not enough to reach a balanced economy.
Dialogue with the unions is now being initiated before the start of the negotiation process. The notice of dismissal covers 900 employees and will above all affect the groups that have increased the most in recent years. Two professional groups, doctors and nurses, are exempt from notice. The number of employees within these categories is instead regulated through employment freezes with special needs assessment. The Public Dental Service and the region’s schools are also exempt.
– I want to emphasize that all the region’s employees make valuable contributions, but unfortunately the financial situation gives us no choice. Since the beginning of 2020, the number of employees has increased by just over 1,000 people and that is not sustainable, says Marie Morell.
Text: the communication unit
