Didier Lombard, France Telecom’s Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, met today with Xavier Darcos, the French Minister of Employment, Labour Relations, Family, Solidarity and Urban Affairs. In addition to the measures that the Group announced on Thursday September 10, new decisions were taken with a view to putting in place a strong and consistent action plan demonstrating the Group's determination to bring an end to the series of suicides and attempted suicides that have recently affected its workforce.

The national health, safety and working conditions committee (CNSHSCT) will be meeting on Thursday next week in the presence of Jean-Denis Combrexelle, the Ministry’s Director General for Employment.
To stop the phenomenon from spreading, it has been decided to immediately put in place a freephone number to promote dialogue. Psychologists from outside the company will be available to listen to and talk with any employees who may be having difficulties.
The first meeting for the negotiations on stress will be taking place on Friday September 18. On this occasion, the employee representatives will appoint an external consultancy to conduct an audit of the situation within France Telecom.
These negotiations will focus on the prevention of stress and psychosocial risks in the event of geographical or professional mobility among staff. To address this issue, a forward-looking employment and skills management (GPEC) system will be set-up with a view to offering employees and their direct managers visibility over their professional development and support.

As previously announced, the company has decided to suspend all geographical or professional mobility programmes until October 31 in order to reexamine the conditions for their implementation. During this period, meetings will be organized between management and staff throughout France.  

Within this framework, France Telecom will be working with the French Ministry of Employment in order to ensure that the occupational health services agreement fully takes into account the prevention of psychosocial risks. Moreover, France Telecom has decided to take on new occupational health specialists, while further strengthening its local Human Resources teams.

Didier Lombard declared that he would “make every effort to ensure that a new social contract emerges following this period of negotiations and actions. December's France Telecom will not be the France Telecom of today”.