"The need for RMK's in-house labor resources will decrease by approximately 75 positions starting in July 2026. The change affects the entire forest management sector, including both the current nursery and seed management department and the forest management division," the RMK said in a press release.

"At this stage, it's a plan that we estimate could affect up to 75 people. The final number of layoffs will become clear as the process unfolds. Given the age of many of our logging workers, there will certainly be some who prefer to retire. Over the next six months, some may also find other positions," RMK's head of human resources, Signe Vaks, told ERR.

Forest management work in state forests will not disappear or decrease at the regional level; only the method of organizing the work will change.

Specifically, RMK plans to increase its procurement of forest management services from the private sector while launching an innovative training program in collaboration with the Luua Forestry School.

Business training offered

The RMK stated in its press release that it will offer its current logging workers "an opportunity to continue the same work in an entrepreneurial capacity."

At present, around 80 percent of RMK's forest management work is already carried out by contractors. RMK has gradually built and shaped the forest management services market itself.

"In the beginning, we procured brush-cutting work, in 2019, we added planting services and since 2023, also forest protection work. The private sector has now reached a level of service provision that allows RMK to focus on a strategic perspective — planning and managing the work. This meets both our development goals and the expectations of the private sector," explained Toomas Väät, head of RMK's forest management and nursery operations.

"Our next goal is to increase the volume of services procured from the private sector by an additional 20 percent — worth approximately €3 million — while also creating opportunities for current RMK loggers to transition into contractor roles. To that end, we have partnered with Luua Forestry School to launch the RMK Entrepreneurship Academy," Väät added.

According to head of human resources Signe Vaks, RMK wants to set an example as an employer that creates opportunities and provides maximum support when there is a well-analyzed need to implement structural changes.

"The Entrepreneurship Academy was launched to offer our own employees a chance to develop their skills and knowledge, gain new experiences and explore new career opportunities in a changing environment — proactively, before any organizational changes are implemented," Vaks said.

Luua Forestry School, in cooperation with RMK, has developed a 66-hour academic training curriculum for the Entrepreneurship Academy.

By completing the program, participants will be better equipped to start a business in the forestry sector. They will gain improved knowledge and skills in business planning, service delivery, marketing and financial forecasting.

Logging workers who complete the program will acquire the foundational knowledge needed to start their own business and participate in tenders issued by RMK or other public agencies or to fulfill contracts in the private sector. They will also be more aware of the alternative option of joining an existing forestry company and continuing similar work. As of Monday morning, eight logging workers had enrolled in the Entrepreneurship Academy.

Väät noted that over the next two years, RMK plans to shift from outsourcing specific types of forest management work to procuring full-service contracts — comprehensive agreements where one partner provides planting services, forest regeneration maintenance, thinning operations and forest protection work.

"Full-service contracts bring with them factors such as year-round workloads, higher revenue, longer-term agreements and stronger regional and institutional ties with RMK — all of which support the emergence of capable partners and lead to even higher-quality forest management," Väät emphasized.

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