Feb
4
France Telecom scandal
Filed Under Live
We’ve just come through a major arm-wrestle with France Telecom (FT). On 23rd December, our landline went dead.
THREE weeks later and after many, many expensive mobile calls to FT, the little men in their fluoro outfits arrived. After half and hour, they had managed to disconnect the internet, (Madame goes into immediate meltdown with no email), blame the alarm installation for our problems and present us with a bill for 177 euros.
We threatened Sarkosy. No help.
We threatened the guillotine. That worked! They disappeared into our cave and emerged dusty and triumphant an hour later.
We had a phone. We had internet. We still had to pay 177 euros. They thanked us for our patience.
I would not have written anything until this story appeared on France 24 yesterday:
“It is perhaps the worst corporate scandal in Europe for years. Not bankers pay or bonuses, but the suicide of nearly three dozen employees at France Telecom. This week saw the 27% Government-owned telco’s CEO and chairman, Didier Lombard, announce that he would step aside as chief executive next month in response to a rising tide of criticism.
“In an interview published today, Mr Lombard admits underestimating the malaise at France Telecom as the old state monopoly, privatised in 2004, tried to adapt to its change of status in a rapidly developing market. “I should have acted sooner. But on these very sensitive human issues, it is very difficult to evaluate the depth of things.” Quite.
France Telecom revealed late last year that it had set aside one billion euros to try and ease the pressures of constant restructuring that seem to have contributed mightily to the spate of deaths. Last October the estimate was 24 suicides since 2008, this week the number had grown to an incredible 35.
France Telecom is reported to have set aside E1 billion as part of a plan to end the suicides by offering older workers the chance to go part time. But what about younger employees? But that’s palliative at best. Absent from most of the commentary has been anything about the role of the French Government and the very nervy President Nicolas Sarkozy. He and his government have insisted that companies like France Telecom develop themselves into international champions, but without cutting French jobs. So the cost cutting was endless and remorseless, existing employees had to work longer and harder and do more tasks. No wonder that something gave in the company’s culture.”
In future, we will be more understanding of our local France Telecom engineers.
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