France Telecom said Wednesday it will pay euro1.5 billion ($2.25 billion) to Danish telecoms group TDC as part of a deal to merge their respective operations in Switzerland.

A recent spate of suicides at France Télécom has revealed a paradox at the heart of French society: Even with robust labor protection, workers here see themselves as profoundly insecure, with many complaining about being pushed beyond their limits by the pace of economic change.