6 - Vicat

17eMPLoYees17.1. overview 11217.1.1. Breakdown of the group’s averageworkforce by business 11317.1.2. Breakdown of the group’s averageworkforce by geographical area 11317.1.3. Breakdown of the group’s averageworkforce by age 11317.1.4. Year-end changes in the workforceaccording to movement type 11417.1.5. changes in years of service with the group 11417.1.6. Human resources policy 11417.2. Share subscription and purchase options 11617.3. Employee profit-sharing 11617.4. Shareholding of the company’s officersand transactions conducted by membersof the Board of directors inthe company’s shares 11617.4.1. Holdings by the company’s officers in thecompany’s shares as at december 31, 2009 11617.4.2. transactions by members of the Board ofdirectors in the company’s sharesfor the 2008 and 2009 financial years 11717.1. oVErVIEWThe average workforce of the Group in 2010increased by 4.9 % from 6,712 to 7,040. This increasein employees, above all in the second half of the year,is associated mainly with the increase in numbersin the project in Kazakhstan and the integration ofBharathi Cement in India.In France, the average workforce in 2010 fellcompared with 2009 from 2,569 to 2,490, owing tothe non-replacement of staff leaving the companyand the minor impact on the average workforce ofthe inclusion of L. Thiriet & Cie in the consolidationscope, given that this acquisition occurred inDecember 2010.In the United States, the average workforce andemployee numbers at year-end continued to fallowing to cost reduction measures necessitated bythe continuing crisis in the country’s constructionindustry. The average workforce fell by -10.5 % (1,029in 2010 compared with 1,150 in 2009).In the Africa/Middle east region, productivityimproved with an increase of +7.2 % in sales, from€ 411 million in 2009 to € 441 million in 2010, whileemployee numbers remained stable (1,026 in 2009and 1,039 in 2010, i.e. +1.3 %). The average workforcein the europe region fell slightly (-0.8 %).17.4.3. retention undertakings in relationto the company’s shares 117112 VICAT 2010 registration document