France

French government gives green light to Alcatel's 850 job cuts

Article published on the 2009-07-24 Latest update 2009-07-25 07:49 TU

Alcatel building
(Photo: Wikimedia commons)

A plan to cut 850 jobs and outsource 150 more at the French telecommunications giant Alcatel is no longer being contested by the French government

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Earlier on Friday Industry Minister Christian Estrosi announced that he wanted an explanation from Alcatel's management over why they were cutting jobs after workers at several factories went on strike.

Estrosi later said, after receiving "assurances" from the company, that a meeting with workers' representatives should be held to discuss their concerns.

On Thursday workers at Alcatel factories in Normandy, Brittany and the Loire downed tools and blockaded entrances in protest at Alcatel's restructuring programme.

However, in an interview with the conservative daily newspaper Le Figaro, the president of Alcatel, Philip Camus, said many of the 850 redundancies were voluntary. He added that Alcatel was committed to developing its French sites.

Unions have denounced the cost-cutting programme as the "destruction of a French high technology export industry".