Alca-Lu to cut 26,000 jobs

Alcatel-Lucent is to slash 26,000 staff from its European workforce, according to reports.
 
According to the vendor’s works committee, or union, the biggest cuts will come from France shedding 1,374 jobs, Germany 773 and Romania 564. Staff cuts had already begun in the UK Britain, Belgium and the Netherlands.
 
The vendor has yet to confirm the reports. Alcatel-Lucent works committee  secretary Philippe Saint-Aubain said “compared with end-2008, in 2009-2010 one employee in six in Europe will be gone.”
 
As part of the restructure over 4,500 jobs will be cut or outsourced.
 
“Europe is paying a very heavy price, accounting for about half of all the job cuts at the group even though it accounts for only a third of sales," he added.