Orange to axe almost 3,000 staff in Poland

Operator group Orange has confirmed that it will reduce its workforce in Poland by almost 3,000 over the next two years. The operator’s Telekomunikacja Polska subsidiary has signed an agreement with trade unions in the country, specifying that up to 2,950 staff may voluntarily leave the firm.

The agreement with the trade unions also outlines an investment by Orange into creating a friendly work environment, outplacement support focused on more than 50 employees and pay rises of 2.5 per cent in 2014 and 2015. It also allows employees “unable to adjust their professional profile to changing market needs to leave the company with compensation”.

It will offer voluntary departure package to employees, providing they have been at the firm for more than 10 years.

The value of compensation package will depend on the employees length of service at the firm and will range from four to 15 times their monthly remuneration.

The agreement states that in 2014, compensations will be additionally enlarged per employee by PLN5,000 ($1,645)  for employees with ten to 15 years of experience at the firm, PLN9,000 for employees with more than 15 but less than 20 years of service and PLN 26,000 for employees with more than 20 years.

The group had already announced separately that 413 employees will leave the firm upon the disposal of the Wirtualna Polska portal, which provides email, web hosting, search engine, online chats and music services in Poland.

In March, Orange tightened up its executive management and simplified its innovation department in a bid to better address operational and strategic challenges.