Nokia may carry out further job cuts, according to information from La Tribune. The group, which bought Alcatel Lucent, confirmed to Le Figaro the holding of a CSE on June 22. The object is "a transformation project in France". " When we talk about transformation, it is true that there are also frequent staff reductions ," said a source familiar with the matter at La Tribune.
In four years, Nokia has already made three plans to cut jobs, involving 1,200 jobs. The group also hired around 500 people, mainly in the R&D field, in accordance with its commitments. The group now has 5,200 employees in France, including 2,600 in R&D. The total includes those from its Marine subsidiary, ASN. The latter is regularly the subject of speculation on a possible sale. Orange Marine has shown some interest in the matter.
Difficulties in 5G
The Finnish equipment supplier has been struggling for several years. Its CEO, Rajiv Suri resigned in March, replaced by Pekka Lundmark, who is due to take office on September 1. The group must return to the race, facing its two competitors the Chinese Huawei and the Swedish Ericsson, who are more active than him in 5G. Nokia notably lost in April its biggest Chinese customer, China Mobile.
For several months, Nokia has been regularly the subject of rumors of takeover by an American group. These rumors echo the statements of Donald Trump who had mentioned a possible takeover of the Finnish by an American "entity" to help him put up against Huawei who is banned from the United States.