Former Deputy CEO of France Telecom Faces the Music
In the same week that a French court has launched an investigation into whether France Telecom should face trial over the suicide of its workers, Louis Pierre Wenes, the former deputy CEO of the group, has given his first public interview since his resignation, exclusively to MeetTheBoss TV.
After increasing pressure, and with the direct involvement of French Prime Minister Nicolas Sarkozy, Wenes resigned from France Telecom in October last year after 24 of his staff committed suicide; but the former deputy CEO insists he was a “scapegoat” for the atrocities and was repeatedly “stabbed in the back” as the drama unfolded.
In fact, MeetTheBoss TV can now confirm that Wenes has received a complaint for “moral harassment potentially leading to suicide”. He had been blamed for implementing brutal cost-cutting measures that caused widespread distress amongst his staff, leading union leaders to point the finger at Louis for the suicides, owing to a vicious, target-obsessed company culture in which, they say, qualified employees were pushed to “breaking point.”
However, since Wenes departure, a further nine employees have taken their own life.
“A few months ago everybody was committing suicide because of stress. Now people are still committing suicide and it’s not because of stress. Why didn’t we ever talk about people who committed suicide in early 2000? Why don’t we care about their memories?” argues Wenes. Overall, an astonishing 22,000 staff have resigned from France Telecom in the last four years. Those who remain have been shifted into high-pressure call centres where individuals compete for monthly results-based bonuses. Mr Wenes, 60, had been overseeing a programme called “Next”, to modernise the firm.
At least 37 employees have now taken their own lives since the beginning of 2008, prompting the company to suspend some aspects of its massive restructuring plan, and introduce more flexible work arrangements and reconsider the closure of smaller offices. New CEO Stephane Richard has reportedly pledged to cement a “new social contract” with unions in the wake of the deaths.
However, throughout the exclusive interview with Meet The Boss Editor-in-Chief Adam Burns, Wenes maintained that, “All I [ever] asked from my people was do the best you can, I can’t expect more than your best.” When asked about the 24 suicides in 18 months, he replied, “I do not want to underestimate the issue, but it’s a biased view of the situation, if we look at the facts, the suicide rate at France Telecom did not increase during that period, it was more in the year 2000 and similar to the overall French corresponding population.”
According to data from the World Health Organization (WHO), the average rate of suicide in France was about 17 per 100,000 people in 2006. At the end of 2008, France Telecom had 102,000 employees in the country.
Now as the deaths at the telecommunications giant bring the issue into prominent media Wenes argues that “a certain number of external stakeholders had their personal agenda.”
This week prosecutors in the eastern French town of Besancon have opened an inquiry into whether France Telecom was criminally responsible for the suicide of a technician there. The company is co-operating with the investigation, and has said it doesn’t see a clear link between the employee’s death and his work. An investigative judge will decide whether there is enough evidence to open a court case accusing France Telecom – and Wenes – of involuntary homicide.
Last week, Richard announced a “mobilization plan” of measures to improve work conditions at the Paris-based company, including a plan to tie performance-based pay to staff morale.
The first public interview with Louis Pierre Wennes (former deputy of France Telecom) is available this week.
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