France Telecom worker kills himself
Union says 57-year-old who set himself alight in Merignac had struggled with frequently having to change jobs A France Telecom-Orange worker has died after setting himself alight outside his office, the latest in a wave of suicides at the company. The 57-year-old married father of four, described as a sociable member of staff, set himself on fire in the car park of a site at Merignac, near Bordeaux, after arriving for a morning shift. He had worked for the company for 30 years, most recently at a call centre dealing with company accounts, and was a trade union member who monitored safety and work conditions. François Deschamps, of the CFE-CGC Unsa union, suggested the man had struggled with being made to frequently change jobs. “Those enforced changes meant he had to sell his house. He had written to the management on several occasions and in my understanding had no reply,” Deschamps told AFP. France Telecom is Europe’s third largest mobile phone operator and biggest provider of broadband internet services. At least 23 of its employees killed themselves last year, and there were more than 30 reported suicides in 2008 and 2009, as well as many more attempts, including a woman found unconscious at her desk and a technician who stabbed himself in the stomach during a management meeting. Among those found at their homes, some had left notes explicitly linking their suicide to their jobs. Unions complained of a climate of bullying, extreme pressure, poor management methods and restructuring cuts that forced people to repeatedly change jobs. Staff said the climate had worsened since privatisation. Some complained of divorce, family breakdown and being forced to sell homes due to random job changes. Last year Didier Lombard stood down as France Telecom chief executive. In recent months, the company has increased the presence of psychological support workers on its sites and pledged to reduce workplace stress and staff difficulties. France Orange Angelique Chrisafis guardian.co.uk
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on April 26, 2011. Filed under News, Politics, World News.
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France Telecom worker kills himself
Union says 57-year-old who set himself alight in Merignac had struggled with frequently having to change jobs A France Telecom-Orange worker has died after setting himself alight outside his office, the latest in a wave of suicides at the company. The 57-year-old married father of four, described as a sociable member of staff, set himself on fire in the car park of a site at Merignac, near Bordeaux, after arriving for a morning shift. He had worked for the company for 30 years, most recently at a call centre dealing with company accounts, and was a trade union member who monitored safety and work conditions. François Deschamps, of the CFE-CGC Unsa union, suggested the man had struggled with being made to frequently change jobs. “Those enforced changes meant he had to sell his house. He had written to the management on several occasions and in my understanding had no reply,” Deschamps told AFP. France Telecom is Europe’s third largest mobile phone operator and biggest provider of broadband internet services. At least 23 of its employees killed themselves last year, and there were more than 30 reported suicides in 2008 and 2009, as well as many more attempts, including a woman found unconscious at her desk and a technician who stabbed himself in the stomach during a management meeting. Among those found at their homes, some had left notes explicitly linking their suicide to their jobs. Unions complained of a climate of bullying, extreme pressure, poor management methods and restructuring cuts that forced people to repeatedly change jobs. Staff said the climate had worsened since privatisation. Some complained of divorce, family breakdown and being forced to sell homes due to random job changes. Last year Didier Lombard stood down as France Telecom chief executive. In recent months, the company has increased the presence of psychological support workers on its sites and pledged to reduce workplace stress and staff difficulties. France Orange Angelique Chrisafis guardian.co.uk
Posted by
on April 26, 2011. Filed under News, Politics, World News.
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