The problems facing mr obermann include the loss of 1 . 5m fixed - line german customers in the first nine months of the year ; growing competition from cable and mobile operators ; a workforce which is at least 30 , 000 too big coupled with an agreement not to cut jobs except by natural attrition until the end of 2008 ; and a legacy of 77 , 000 employees with civil - servant status , which means they cannot be fired 奥伯曼所面对的问题包括：今年前九个月，有150万德国固定电话用户流失；与有线设备和移动运营商的竞争日渐激烈；至少3万人之众的员工队伍规模庞大，而且（公司与之）协定在2008年终之前除非人员自然损耗，否则不得裁员；以及具有公务员地位的7万7千名雇员，这意味者他们不能受到裁撤。
