Biohit Oyj ends negotiations, announces lay-offs

Biohit Oyj is to cut both leased personnel and full-time staff as part of a cost-saving drive designed to improve the profitability of the group, it has been announced.

In a statement, the company confirmed it had ended the co-determination negotiations it began in June 2008 and lay-offs will now follow.

Under Biohit’s plan, the firm will temporarily reduce its leased employee workforce by ten posts. It will also cut ten permanent jobs.

The lay-offs will mainly affect staff working in the company’s diagnostics business, as well as those in the production and logistics arms of its liquids handling division.

Lay-offs will begin later this month and will remain in force "until further notice", Biohit said.

It added that the planned staff reductions will not affect its plans to continue the development of the group’s diagnostics business.

Biohit manufactures and distributes liquid handling products and diagnostic test systems for research, heathcare and laboratory use. It has production plants in Finland and China, as well as subsidiary firms in Germany, the US, Japan, Russia and the UK.