Alcatel Business Systems Eyes Staff Cuts

PARIS, March 20 -- Alcatel Business Systems, a French subsidiary of Alcatel, announced it may eliminate 350 jobs as part of its recently announced restructuring efforts, a result of continuing weakness of the worldwide and domestic telecom market. Alcatel Business Systems has about 2,700 employees.
Alcatel said it "has notified its workers council that restructuring measures will be required due to the continuing weakness of the worldwide and domestic telecom market. As a result, the cost-reduction program will be intensified and staff will be adapted to market conditions. In particular, this will lead to 350 redundancies in 2003, impacting all of the company's activities."

Alcatel Business Systems has proposed to begin negotiations with employee representatives to identify "appropriate solutions and to agree on the methods to be employed."

For more information, visit: www.alcatel.com