Nokia to cut almost 600 sales and marketing jobs: company

HELSINKI: The world's leading maker of mobile phones, Nokia of Finland, said on Tuesday that it would cut almost 600 jobs, mainly in its sales and marketing division.

"As a follow-up to Nokia's reorganisation in the beginning of 2008, Nokia plans further changes in its sales and marketing activities in the markets unit," it said in a statement.

"Nokia estimates that approximately 450 employees, maximum 100 in Finland, in the markets unit will be affected by the planned changes," the company said, adding that another 130 employees at the Nokia Research Centre (NRC) would also be affected.

A spokeswoman for the group, Arja Suominen, said the job cuts would affect permament and not temporary employees, but that the overall number of jobs cuts was an estimate.

She said the company would begin negotiations with the unions and employee representatives, and "obviously the final figures will only be known after that."

Nokia said the changes would be effective January 1, 2009.

The company also announced that it would close its plant in Turku, in southwestern Finland, which employs 220 people and relocate its activities to the nearby town of Salo.

The closure will be finalised by the end of January 2009, and employees will be offered the possibility to work in Salo or in the Helsinki area.