The largest telecom operator on the local market, Orange Romania, will not renew contracts for some 200 employees hired with temporary agreements through the Manpower recruiting and personnel leasing company, according to sources within the company and the HR market. The employees in question are working in the company’s Customer Division, especially in its Help Line Department, which totals some 300 people. The only departments within the Customer Division where people will not be laid off are in Problem Solving and Credit and Collection, sources told Business Standard. Company officials said the measures are not related to the economic situation, but to business priorities. “Agreements with a temporary labor agent are entered into based on the various development stages of some departments and projects, and for specific needs. Orange Romania has temporary contracts with several suppliers, not only the above-mentioned. When these contracts end, depending on business priorities, the management decides which departments or projects need such contracts to be renewed,” Orange Romania representatives said. The company presently has some 3,000 employees. In a recent interview for Business Standard, the company’s CEO, Richard Moat, said the number of employees would remain steady, similar to the past two-three years. “The only real growth that we had was in the retail area, because last year, for instance, we doubled the number of stores, and this means some 500 people,” Moat added. A similar decision could be made by business software provider Oracle Romania, which is considering not renewing contracts for employees with temporary six-month contracts, according to data obtained by Business Standard. These employees were recruited through Adecco HR company, and make up some 10-15 percent of Oracle Romania’s employees. (M.F.)
