French telecoms equipment firm Alcatel said today it planned to cut roughly one third of its worldwide fibre optics and undersea network staff by the summer of next year amid slumping markets.
The cuts of 3,038 staff, which will be made in France, Britain and the United States, come on top of plans announced by the company in July to cut 20,000 permanent and contract staff this year in an effort to make an annual profit.
In France, Alcatel said cuts would be made at plants in Calais, Conflans Sainte-Honorine, Doubrin, Nanterre, Nozay and Ormes. Alcatel said 172 employees in its undersea network activity would be affected, including early retirements and transfers to other Alcatel sites.
Temporary contracts of another 873 people in France working in undersea networks and optical fibre would not be renewed, the company said.
In addition, workforce cuts will be made in the undersea network site in Greenwich, Britain and its optical fibre site in Claremont, in the United States.
Most of these measures will be completed by summer 2002, the company said.