The “extremely weak market situation” in Finland is forcing piping systems specialist Uponor (Vantaa / Finland; www.uponor.com) to take additional streamlining measures aimed at improving profitability. The restructuring could see 100 workers lose their jobs. The announcement follows last year’s closure of its production sites in Ulvila and Forssa – see Plasteurope.com of 13.11.2013.

The cuts, which the company hopes will yield EUR 5m in savings in 2015, are to be implemented at the group’s relatively young Uponor Infra joint venture with KWH Group (Vasaa / Finland; www.kwhpipe.com) – for previous coverage, see Plasteurope.com of 04.07.2013 – which employs a total of 520 workers. Also threatened by the redundancies are about 20 employees working at the group’s building solutions subsidiary Uponor Suomi, which shares services with the infrastructure business. Staff negotiations are expected to last six weeks.

Both businesses operate pipe production plants in Vaasa and Nastola alongside smaller production units in Jyväskylä and Tuusula. Uponor said the measures will not affect its other companies in Finland or elsewhere.