Finland's largest umbrella organisation for social and health NGOs has launched change negotiations that could lead to the dismissal of almost its entire workforce, as a dispute over state funding criteria deepens within the government.
Soste, which represents more than 240 social and health organisations across Finland, announced on Monday that negotiations covering all employees will begin on 23 June. The organisation employs 31 people and said up to 29 positions could be cut.
The move follows a proposal by Minister of Social Security Wille Rydman to tighten the criteria governing grants distributed through the Funding Centre for Social Welfare and Health Organisations (STEA).
Under the proposed rules, funding would no longer be granted as a starting point to umbrella organisations and central bodies. Organisations focused on advocacy, policy influence or advisory work would also face restrictions.
For Soste, the changes place at risk a STEA grant worth about €2.8 million, which forms a significant part of its funding base.
Prime Minister Petteri Orpo took the unusual step of publicly challenging the proposal and said the matter would be transferred from the ministry to the full government for consideration.
"Minister Rydman's proposed STEA funding criteria do not have the support of the government," Orpo wrote on X.
"The minister cannot advance the matter without government approval. Therefore, I will bring it to a government session for consideration. We are committed to the savings and they will be implemented together."
According to Finnish law, the prime minister has the authority to move issues of broad significance or principle from an individual ministry to the government as a whole.
Government discussions on the criteria are expected to begin before Parliament's summer recess.
The dispute centres on how to implement planned reductions in NGO funding. The government has already committed to cutting support for social and health organisations by about one-third next year.
Rydman argued that reduced funding requires stricter allocation rules. His proposal would prioritise organisations engaged directly in health promotion and support services while limiting grants for advocacy activities and umbrella groups.
The proposed criteria would also exclude organisations whose activities focus mainly on a specific non-health-related background or identity group.
The measures have drawn criticism from opposition parties and civil society groups.
The Left Alliance said the criteria could discriminate against minority groups, including sexual and gender minorities and immigrant communities. The party has announced plans to submit a motion of no confidence against Rydman unless the criteria are revised.
Soste said the consequences extend beyond staffing levels.
"The reduction of advocacy work by social and health organisations means silencing the voices of people who are often not otherwise heard," Soste chair Hanna Markkula-Kivisilta said in a statement.
She argued that advocacy forms a central part of the work carried out by social and health organisations and questioned why similar restrictions would not be applied in other sectors.
The organisation warned that the proposed funding model threatens its future operations from the beginning of 2027.
HT