A DECADE after a wave of suicides at France Telecom in which 35 employees took their own lives, the telecoms giant and its former CEO went on trial yesterday for “moral harassment.”

The case will look at what was behind the deaths that occurred between 2008 and 2009 when Didier Lombard was at the helm of the company, which is today known as Orange.

The trial opens at the Paris criminal court nearly seven years after Lombard and France Telecom were charged with harassment in what was a first in France.

Also in the dock are a handful of former senior executives accused of harassment and others facing charges of complicity in a trial, which will likely be closely followed by business, unions and workforce experts.

Expected to last more than two months, it could result in a conviction for institutional psychological harassment.

Despite France’s labor laws, which are some of the strongest in the world, depression, long-term illness, professional burnout and even suicide have become increasingly common.

Unions and management accept that 35 France Telecom employees took their own lives between 2008 and 2009 and Lombard stepped down as a result of the deaths.

Formerly a public company, France Telecom was privatized in 2004, a move which led to major restructuring and job losses.

(SD-Agencies)