And today that figure will be revised upward

Sad anniversary. Eleven months after his birth, Alcatel-Lucent will again cut in its workforce. The announcement was made yesterday by the Executive Director, Patricia Russo, in a long Board of Directors held all afternoon in Paris. The agenda of the day: validation of the accounts of the third quarter and especially the review of the new restructuring plan that is poised to launch the direction of the OEM Telecom in great difficulty. In the wake, the Directorate had to speak yesterday with representatives of the staff of two bodies the Committee of Group France and group Committee European to make them part of the content of the "Russo plan." Once again, the employees will pay the price very: between 3,000 and 5,000 jobs should be deleted, the range being the most likely medium.

Alcatel-Lucent must announce a specific figure this morning in a press release. If no geographical distribution of staff losses will be unveiled, it seems that American workers should be the most affected. The France should also be concerned but to a lesser extent.

The Elysee follows very closely the evolution of the record and would have made it clear to Alcatel-Lucent that Governments wanted no new social plan in France. Also, the group could consider a minimum to extend to new volunteers plan already negotiated with the unions. Since last February, Alcatel-Lucent had already announced the removal of clear positions in France as part of a global plan of 12.500 departures (12 of the workforce). This figure was already higher than 9,000 job losses announced the day of the merger, on December 1. But as Alcatel-Lucent has accumulated financial woes, his leadership has sought new savings measures. EUR 1.4 billion per year, costs reductions planned are thus passed to 1.7 billion. And today, that figure will be revised upward.

One-hour work stoppage of

All intents and purposes, the French unions have called workers to stop work for an hour today. For the CFDT, majority Union in the company, of new deletions of posts "would be interpreted as a declaration of war". For the CFE - CGC, "the Cup is full." And for the CGT, "the American dream has proved a fiasco though that leaders want to pay to the employees".

This new savings plan was decided on the new "profit warning" issued by Alcatel-Lucent on September 13. The manufacturer has already lowered its forecasts, analysts anticipated little surprises on the front of the results of the third quarter published this morning. Consensus, Alcatel-Lucent is expected to show a net loss of EUR 100 million for operating margins just at equilibrium (0.4). Turnover is expected to decline by 11 over a year, 4.37 billion euros. With a course of stock market which fell by 40 since the beginning of the year, the urgency is the remedy.

If changes are not excluded in management teams, Patricia Russo was confirmed in his functions. But it is now more entitled to error... As the "non-executive" Chairman Serge Tchuruk who has been the most ardent defender of this merger.