French union members at the start of the trial of France Telecom in front of the Paris' courthouse on May 6.Former executives for France Télécom, now known as Orange, are on trial on charges of"moral harassment" and have been accused of creating a hostile work environment that led to dozens of suicides.
French officials ordered France Télécom to go private in 2003, and the company accrued $50 billion in debt by 2005. The company could be forced to pay civil damages to employees who were affected by the company's stressful work culture.
The company, which rebranded as Orange in 2013, is also on trial and could be forced to pay civil damages to any workers found to be harmed by the company's practices.