Metsä Fibre is preparing to begin negotiations over possible temporary layoffs at its Kemi bioproduct mill in Finland, where an extended production shutdown is planned for later this year.
The mill will be taken offline for six weeks between October and November 2026 as the company renews its cooking area. The site’s annual maintenance shutdown will be carried out during the same period, according to Metsä Fibre.
The extended outage has prompted the company to initiate formal change negotiations covering the mill’s entire workforce of approximately 225 people.
If implemented, the temporary layoffs could last for a maximum of 90 days and would take place before the end of 2026. Their scope and timing will be determined through the negotiation process.
The talks are scheduled to begin during week 34 and are expected to continue for approximately one week.
Metsä Fibre announced in May that it would modernize the Kemi mill’s cooking system as part of efforts to improve production performance. The upcoming shutdown will allow the company to complete work associated with that project while carrying out regular annual maintenance.
Metsä Fibre, part of Metsä Group, produces pulp, sawn timber, biochemicals and bioenergy. The company employs approximately 1,400 people and recorded sales of EUR 2.6 billion in 2025.
