The ex-boss of France Telecom and six other former executives have gone on trial in Paris, accused of moral harassment linked to a spate of suicides among employees.<\/p>\n
Didier Lombard and his fellow defendants deny their tough restructuring measures were to blame for the subsequent loss of life.<\/p>\n
The company, since renamed Orange, is also on trial for the same offence.<\/p>\n
Thirty-five staff took their lives between 2008 and 2009.<\/p>\n
Some of them left messages blaming France Telecom and its managers.<\/p>\n
At the time, the newly privatised company was in the throes of a major reorganisation. Mr Lombard was trying to cut 22,000 jobs and retrain at least 10,000 workers.<\/p>\n
Some employees were transferred away from their families or left behind when offices were moved, or assigned demeaning jobs.<\/p>\n
“I’ll get them out one way or another, through the window or through the door,” Mr Lombard was quoted as telling senior managers in 2007.<\/p>\n
Mr Lombard has accepted that the restructuring upset employees, but rejected the idea that it led to people taking their own lives.<\/p>\n
If found guilty, the defendants could each face a year in prison and \u20ac15,000 (\u00a312,800) in fines.<\/p>\n
Orange itself could face sanctions of \u20ac75,000.<\/p>\n
Among the cases documented:<\/p>\n
Source: bbc.co.uk<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"