- Title: Nokia workers protest against planned job cuts in Paris
- Date: 8th July 2020
- Summary: PARIS, FRANCE (JULY 8, 2020) (REUTERS) NOKIA WORKERS MARCHING, EIFFEL TOWER IN THE BACKGROUND BANNER READING (English): "STOP RELOCATIONS" VARIOUS OF PROTESTERS MARCHING WITH BANNERS BANNER READING (French): "THE (JOINT-UNION) TREGOR STANDS AGAINST JOB CUTS" UNION MEMBERS GREETING EACH OTHER (SOUNDBITE) (French) NOKIA WORKER, ABDERRAHIM EL BOZARFAOUI, SAYING: "It's an unacceptable plan. It's just a relocation of our jobs to countries that are more low-cost - like India, Poland, Romania. There are a few jobs that are going to Finland and Canada but the activities we have in Lannion and Villarceaux, they are not stopping them. It's purely outsourcing. It's a financial operation, and we're all against this plan." WORKERS HOLDING BANNER VARIOUS OF WORKERS MARCHING PAST PROTESTERS HOLDING UP T-SHIRT READING (French): "COVID spared me (but) Nokia wants to kill me" (SOUNDBITE) (French) MEMBER OF THE FRENCH PARLIAMENT FROM THE RULING PARTY LAREM, ERIC BOTHOREL, WHO REPRESENTS A REGION WHERE THERE ARE PLANNED JOB CUTS, ERIC BOTHOREL SAYING: "It's unbelievable. The plan arrives just after the time limit that had been set to hold onto commitments that consisted of moving upmarket with more jobs in Research and Development. The time limit was set for June. And the plan (to cut jobs) arrives in June. And on top of that it is targeting people that have just been hired. So it's a mistake both strategically and industrially and it is unacceptable because not only is it not respecting the employees but it's also clearly making fun of the government."
- Embargoed: 22nd July 2020 12:37
- Keywords: France Nokia layoffs
- Location: PARIS, FRANCE
- City: PARIS, FRANCE
- Country: France
- Topics: Company News Markets,Economic Events
- Reuters ID: LVA001CLY9QH3
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: Several hundred Nokia workers protested in Paris on Wednesday (July 8) against plans to cut over 1,200 jobs in its French subsidiary Alcatel-Lucent International.
Nokia has said most of the layoffs would come from research and development (R&D) teams. Unions say this is incomprehensible when Europe is preparing to deploy the next generation mobile network.
Member of the French parliament from the ruling party LaRem, Eric Bothorel, who was elected in the northwestern region of Côtes-d'Armor, where there are planned job cuts, said Nokia's announcement came just after the date set releasing the company from commitments to preserve jobs.
Nokia was bound to job retention commitments when it acquired Alcatel Lucent in 2015. They expired in June.
Bothorel said the move was "making fun of the government" as it targeted people who were recently hired.
Nokia says it will continue to be a major employer in France with a strong foothold in R&D.
(Production: Emilie Delwarde, Thierry Chiarello, Yiming Woo, Ardee Napolitano) - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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