Swisscom Systems, the telephone exchange provider of Switzerland's largest telecommunications operator, has announced it is cutting 131 jobs by the end of the year. Swisscom blamed falling sales for the move.

A company statement said Swisscom Systems had posted "considerable losses" in revenue in the first half of 2001 and faced further difficulties in the future.

It added that the move was part of the market-related cuts announced by Swisscom in March last year, which foresee the loss of 3,000 jobs by the year 2003. The company has said that a "significant" number of cuts would come from natural wastage.

Swisscom said that despite successful measures to improve products and processes, the situation at Swisscom Systems had failed to improve fast enough.

It noted that sales of communications systems were heavily dependent on the levels of investment in the market, which were currently low as investors waited for new technologies to be introduced.

Swisscom said the affected employees would be covered by the company's comprehensive social plan. The trade unions and staff associations would also be involved, the statement said.

Swisscom Systems currently employs 1,765 full-time staff.

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