Bouygues Telecom union representatives fear the loss of 1,500 to 2,000 jobs under a cost savings plans being prepared by parent company Bouygues. Alain Bernard, who represents labour union Force Ouvriere, told Le Figaro that nothing is expected to be announced before the European elections on 25 May. A work council meeting is due to be held at the end of May, and the cuts could be made public before the summer. The operator has 9,000 employees, so the expected cuts represent up to 23 percent of its workforce.
Bouygues Telecom's revenue has declined by 26 percent over two years, while its costs increased by 10 percent, Bernard said. The company has lost 200,000 customers and seen its ARPU decline in the two years since Free Mobile entered the market in January 2012. Some 18 percent of Bouygues customers have switched to its B&You low-cost brand. CFDT representative Aziz Azam said "We have the biggest 4G network, but the lowest turnover of the three incumbent operators. Find the error."
