Kristina Sundin Jonsson,
UPDATE: 18:20
"I never thought Northvolt would lay people off"
An open meeting is currently being held at Sara kulturhus in response to the situation at Northvolt. The meeting was planned in advance, and a significant number of attendees are present, with most appearing to be from Skellefteå.
Alexander Maj came to Sweden from Slovenia 10 months ago to work at Northvolt. Tomorrow, he’ll find out whether he can keep his job.
– I came here tonight to explore what other opportunities might be available, because I want to stay and work here, he says.
– I didn’t expect this; I never thought Northvolt would lay people off. But it’s okay, I believe things will work out.
UPDATE: 18:10
City manager: "Extremely sad"
The announcement that roughly 800 people are being laid off from Northvolt is "extremely sad for those who are affected and are affected in other ways," says city manager Kristina Sundin Jonsson.
– It's very sad. That's my immediate reaction, she says.
The question is what the municipality is doing now to help those affected.
Sundin Jonsson mentions Friday's matching event, where people can participate to meet potential employers.
Over 900 people and around seventy actors are registered for the meeting, which is the first of four of its kind.
– Västerbotten has the lowest unemployment in all of Sweden, and we hope that as many people as possible will be able to stay here.
The municipality is also assessing the impact on the local business community. It is working with various authorities and has extended the opening hours at both the Business Administration Office and Welcome House Skellefteå.
– Several higher education institutions operating in Skellefteå have applied to the government for various higher education initiatives targeting this group, says Sundin Jonsson.
She stresses that there is a strong commitment to retaining the workforce in the region.
– I’m encouraged by the collective efforts being made by various stakeholders. This is very unfortunate news, but we are doing everything we can to explore different solutions.
UPDATE: 16:10
Northvolt confirms: 840 employees to be laid off
Norran has seen an internal message sent by Northvolt to its employees.
In the message, which is in English, it states that the negotiations are complete, and 840 employees will lose their jobs.
Northvolt mentions in the email that further information will be sent out to employees starting tomorrow, Wednesday. Employees will be informed about how their employment is affected, such as whether they are being dismissed, reassigned, or impacted by shift changes.
– It is important that you attend all meetings you are invited to according to the schedule. During the meeting, you will receive information about how your role is affected, the message reads.
Northvolt also states that employees are expected to continue working during their notice period.
– Although we understand it can be difficult to focus on work under these circumstances, the company writes.
UPDATE: 16:00
Hans Andersson is the local rep for IF Metall at Northvolt.
– We are mostly done with the redundancy negotiations, he says.
How many will be let go?
– This is a very difficult question. About 1,850 will stay, and approximately 840 will be let go. But it’s a variable number. There may be people who become dissatisfied and resign, which would reduce the number of people laid off.
How have the negotiations gone?
– First and foremost, this is a huge tragedy for those who have to leave. It feels terrible.
– It was quite tough initially. Towards the end, it went well. We had a good atmosphere, and things moved forward. It has been solution-oriented.
Initial information was given to employees just after 3 p.m. on Tuesday, and more details about who is affected will be shared in the coming days.
This report will be updated