Finnish workers affected by the closure of Nokia’s factory in Salo are to receive EUR 5 million in funds from the European Union. The news comes amid the final days of employment for many working at the facility.
On Friday, the European Commission said that around 1,000 affected workers would benefit from a European Globalisation Adjustment Fund (EGF) support package worth EUR 10.6 million, with the EU providing half of the funding. No official word has been given as to who will pay for the remaining half.
The measure is now subject to approval from the EU Council of Ministers as well as the European Parliament. Commission officials said that the effort is designed to help people with the costs of relocation, training and career guidance in addition to lost wages.
The package is the second major European supplement designated to those affected by recent Nokia cost cutting efforts. Last year saw the Commission set aside EGF funding of EUR 3 million for former-workers of a now-defunct Nokia plant in Romania, whilst EUR 2 million was given earlier this year to former employees of Perlos, a major Finland-based contractor for Nokia.