Changes after new telecom suicide

COMPULSORY JOB MOVES HAVE BEEN HALTED AT FRANCE TELECOM AFTER A 24TH WORKER KILLED HIMSELF, CLAIMING PROBLEMS AT WORK A FRANCE Telecom worker threw himself from a motorway bridge to become

the 24th employee to commit suicide in the past 19 months. The 51-year-old man, who was married with two children, left a note blaming the “atmosphere at work” for his decision to jump from

a viaduct in Haute-Savoie. He had been moved from his job dealing with business clients to a call centre in Annecy and cold-calling people to sell services. Union officials said he had been

“under pressure” since the change and the call centre was known to be an “insufferable” place to work. They said management there had “no interest in the workers as individuals. They only

cared about figures.” France Telecom president and chief executive Didier Lombard went to the call centre after the death became known and was booed as he arrived. He announced that the

company’s controversial policy of compulsory job changes every three years was being put on ice. The company had said earlier that 200 new staff counsellors would be appointed. Labour

minister Xavier Darcos has warned Mr Lombard that France Telecom - which has the government as its largest shareholder - had to take a more “humane” approach to its restructuring in the wake

of the switch of customers from _téléphone fixe_ to mobiles. France Telecom employs more than 100,000 and laid off 22,000 staff in 2006-8.