Uncertainty surrounds the number of jobs that could potentially go as a result of Fazer’s completion of a review into its in-store bakery operations.
The Finland-based food manufacturer plans to renew the business model pertaining to its in-store bakery business after concluding the review process, which could now impact up to 660 employees.
When Fazer announced in March it was re-evaluating the operations, the company said a maximum of 96 jobs could be on the line. However, in a statement on Wednesday (24 May) it said the change negotiations involve 660 staff.
Fazer operates 132 shop-in-shop bakeries around Finland, with 12 more in Estonia and another that recently opened in Sweden.
In a separate statement sent to Just Food, Marika Hagelberg, the vice president of the in-store bakery business, said: “We have just started the discussions with personnel on their future roles. At this stage, we do not yet know how many employee roles will be changed significantly.
“At this point, a great amount of new positions are opened in the shop-in-shop organisation, which can be applied [for] by the shop-in-shop employees. Our goal is to find suitable roles for everyone.”
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By GlobalDataThe vacancies will primarily be offered to those affected by the job cuts, Fazer said, as it plans to adapt the in-store bakery operations and operating model to the “rapidly grown business and changes in the external operating environment.”
Hagelberg added: “The planned changes follow Fazer Bakery Finland’s consumer-centric growth strategy.”
The conclusion of the review comes after Fazer cut 54 jobs in its bread department at a factory in Lahti, southern Finland, in March as it looked to improve efficiencies and invest in the rye-bread segment.
Also in March, Fazer downsized plans for a new confectionery factory. And in February, the company confirmed it was going ahead with a plan to exit the dairy category, including ending production of milk products at its Koria plant.