According to Telia, it is continuing the change that began in 2024, when the group announced a savings package of approximately SEK 2.6 billion (about $248 million).
"Then we moved more resources into the countries to get closer to the customer in the decisions we make. We see that this change we made in 2024 has yielded good results," says Hofbauer.
In several countries
In Sweden, 260 positions are affected. On October 1, Telia had around 6,000 employees in the country. The largest reduction is in Finland, where 280 positions are affected.
The cuts affect 900 positions, and Telia believes that this is ultimately how many people will be let go.
We are now starting work with the local unions to identify these people.
Hofbauer says it is not yet possible to say exactly which positions and functions will be affected. However, the cuts will affect roles across the entire group.
We will first discuss it with the union before we can come to a conclusion on that issue, he says, adding:
It is of course an incredibly tough and painful message to give, but at the same time it is our responsibility to build a sharper Telia and ensure that we are competitive going forward, says Patrik Hofbauer.
Decreased sharply
In addition to the staff cuts, around 220 positions will also be moved from "the joint technology unit to the country units," the company writes.
The number of employees in the Telia Group has fallen by 37 percent over the past ten years. At the end of 2016, the company had 21,030 employees globally. Including the planned cuts, the number of employees will fall to 13,200.
The staff reductions are expected to be completed by December 31.
