Image: Markku Ojala / AOP

Finnish corporate giant Nokia has announced lay-off talks aimed at cutting 1,300 jobs in Finland. The firm says that half the job cuts will be made in Espoo, with one quarter coming in Oulu and one quarter in Tampere.

At the end of last year the company employed some 6,700 workers in Finland. Reuters reports that the company’s spokesperson declined to specify where else in the world it may make staff cuts.

Last year the company had already said it would aim to make 900 million euros of efficiency savings by 2018 after acquiring the rival French firm Alcatel-Lucent. Nokia says the axe will fall in areas where there is overlap between the two firms’ operations, in particular research and development, regional and sales departments and support functions.

"These actions are designed to ensure that Nokia remains a strong industry leader," said Nokia President and CEO Rajeev Suri in a statement.

"When we announced the acquisition of Alcatel-Lucent we made a commitment to deliver EUR 900 million in synergies - and that commitment has not changed. We also know that our actions will have real human consequences and, given this, we will proceed in a way that that is consistent with our company values and provide transition and other support to the impacted employees."

The company says it will aim to start a new Bridge programme, similar to the one which helped Nokia workers transition to new careers as the company cut headcount in 2011-2013.