France Telecom - suicides

France Telecom deputy CEO resigns over employee suicides

Article published on the 2009-10-05 Latest update 2009-10-05 13:42 TU

The deputy chief executive of France Telecom resigned Monday amidst calls by unions for him to be replaced after a string of employee suicides. Louis-Pierre Wenes has been blamed for cost-cutting measures that have pushed 24 workers to kill themselves over the last 20 months.

Wenes resigned Monday, saying he “cannot accept” the suicides.

"Despite the hard edge of the technological and economic fight, especially in our business, nothing can justify men and women putting an end to their lives,” he said in a statement to staff.

Many of the staff members who have killed themselves have done so at work, or have left letters blaming work conditions.

The most recent death, on 28 September, was a 51-year-old call centre employee who jumped from a highway overpass in Annecy. He had left a note saying he was pushed to kill himself by the work environment.

On 15 September a 32-year-old leapt to her death from the fifth-floor window of a France Telecom building in Paris. Two days before, a worker stabbed himself in the stomach during a meeting, though he did not kill himself.

CEO Didier Lombard has vowed to end what he calls a “spiral of death” at his company, where many employees are still public employees, even amidst a major restructuring plan that unions say has brought down morale.

A suicide hotline has been set up for employees, and the company has put a freeze on staff transfers until 31 October, though unions say it might be extended through the end of the year.

The French state, which owns 27 per cent of France Telecom, has supported Wenes and Lombard throughout the suicide scandal.

Wenes will remain as an advisor to Lombard, and will be replaced by Stephane Richard, who is to take over as CEO in 2011.