UNI Telecom Global Bulletin No 1 - EN

UNI Telecom Global Bulletin

Happy New Year from the UNI Telecom team!

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Ver.di organises national protests over Deutsche Telekom job cuts

A Nationwide protest took place in Germany on December 12th 2005, over Deutsche Telekom’s plans to reduce the workforce by 32,000 workers. Franz Treml from UNI affiliate, ver.di addressed the demonstration in Bonn outside Deutsche Telekom Headquarters with over 4,000 workers demonstrating. Ver.di has been protesting that this high number of job reductions in a highly profitable company was unwise and will also affect customer service. A demonstration in Berlin also took place in which over 1,000 workers took part and ver.di’s President, Frank Bsirske addressed the workers saying “We cannot let managers get away with shoveling their profits toward the shareholders while dumping unemployed people at the government's door” The job cuts were approved by the Deutsche Telekom management board on Monday whilst the demonstrations took place outside. DT said that the proposals would be implemented and completed by the end of 2008.

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Japan: Telecom Industry comes into Next Competition Stage

In Japan, the shift from PSTN (public switched telephone network), to IP and broadband network, (an NGN - Next Generation Network) is causing a big change to the information-telecommunication industry. Go to UNI Telecom’s NGN forum for a brief description of what is happening to the industry from the perspective of our affiliate, the NWJ.
http://www.uniglobalunion.org/unitelecom.nsf/EnForumNGN?OpenPage

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Korea: Hanaro Telecom union reaches an agreement

The Korean union’s struggle over the hedge fund continues and the President of Hanaro Telecom Union, Kim JeongKyu went on a hunger strike to show his frustration of the situation after two months of demonstrations and negotiations with the company. The dispute was due for discussion at the plenary session of the Labour Commission. In the lawsuit the union said that that the management had seriously violated major agreements such as employment security, honorary retirement program agreement and collective bargaining agreement. All due to the restructuring process to cut a quarter of the workforce.

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Netherlands: Government reduces stake in KPN

The Dutch government has reduced its 16% stake in KPN and pledged to give up its veto on mergers and takeovers, which in effect makes it possible to sell the company. The Dutch government would not oppose any deal, but it would clearly rather see KPN go to a strategic investor, like Deutsche Telekom, than a financial buyer.

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Ireland: CWU obtains recognition at Smart Telecom

The CWU (Ireland) referred numerous issues in Smart Telecom to the Irish Labour Court and the Court determined that progress could be made in the Labour Relations Commission (LRC) so referred the matters back to the LRC for discussion. Following three days of intensive discussions, Smart Telecom finally agreed to insert into its grievance and disciplinary procedures the right for employees to be accompanied and represented by the Union in these procedures. However, agreement was not reached on a multitude of other issues and, if matters are not resolved in the short term, the Union has advised Smart Telecom that it will not hesitate in referring those items back to the Labour Court.

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T-Mobile USA Union Busting continues...

UNI has once again written to Deutsche Telekom over offending articles on their jobs website for their subsidiary T-Mobile USA. In November, UNI found an article on a recruitment website for a position that included in the job description that they should help maintain a union-free environment. Deutsche Telekom responded saying that T-Mobile USA used an old template in error and reassured UNI that it wouldn’t happen again. Despite these assurances, UNI found further adverts which called for the employee to assist in :- “maintaining a productive and union-free environment.” and “Assists in developing and providing continuous training on employment law/Human Resources issues (i.e….union avoidance etc.) UNI has found a total of ten adverts and have had to continually write to Deutsche Telekom over the matter although all adverts have been amended to remove the offending words the concern remains about T-Mobile USA’s anti-union attitude. T-Mobile USA should not be allowed to continue with this clear anti-union attitude by Deutsche Telekom management and in UNI’s letter to Deutsche Telekom we asked for assurances from Mr Ricke (CEO) and Mr Klinkhammer (Human Resources) that T-Mobile USA will not continue with this anti-union behaviour in writing or in the actions of T-Mobile USA. Further proof came on 8 December, where CWA members tried to distribute information to T-Mobile workers at the Tampa, FL center. The information being handed out concerned employee rights to organize and also about the International Human Rights Day. But security guards came out followed by a T-Mobile manager who stated "we have a whole section in our procedures manual about what to do when unions come around-you will have to leave." T-Mobile then called the Tampa police to threaten the CWA members with arrest if they did not leave.

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USA: CWA reach tentative agreement with AT&T

UNI affiliate, the Communications Workers of America (CWA) have with the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers reached a tentative agreement with AT&T. The settlement covers nearly 12,000 workers and is now subject to membership ratification. The tentative contract if ratified by the membership would expire on April 4th 2009. The agreement provides for wage increases of 11.2% compounded over the contract term, improves pensions and makes real improvements in job security, a key bargaining issue for workers. The contract also maintains employer paid health care (premiums) for active and retired members for the life of the agreement. Beginning in 2007, there will be increases and changes in some deductibles and out of pocket costs. Ralph Maly, CWA's Vice President for Communications and Technologies, called the settlement "fair and equitable" and said union workers at AT&T "are looking forward to working with the new AT&T." The union's bargaining committee have unanimously recommended approval of the agreement.

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UK: CWU condemns BT’s Outsourcing and 886 job losses

The Communication Workers Union (CWU) in the United Kingdom have said that up to 886 employees with ClientLogic at two locations in Derby and Bristol stand to lose their jobs after BT awarded a major Broadband Support Business contract to a rival supplier in India. CWU’s Assistant Secretary Sally Bridge said “By awarding this contract to a supplier in India, BT is blatantly circumventing its social obligation”. The CWU have arranged a meeting with BT on 14th December and will challenge BT’s decision. BT will be transferring operations not affected by the outsourcing to Newcastle, Exeter or Dundee.

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India: BSNL workers to strike in January

BSNL workers in India will hold a one day strike on January 5th 2006 as part of an action plan to protest about several issues such as the government raising the Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) to 74% from 49% and that the BSNL board are outsourcing maintenance work and leaving existing staff redundant. BSNL have made drastic reductions in trunk call rates which allow the private sector to offer internet telephony and proposals have been made for a national rate policy. A new telecom policy is being drawn up but so far the unions have not been consulted and the union fears about the opening up the last mile to share with other providers. The workers are also to take part in a one hour protest on the 8th December.

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Human Rights Day Roundup

Many UNI affiliates took part in events to mark Human Rights Day in December. In Indonesia, ASPEK members held a rally to mark Human Rights Day and passed the message that they called for Child Labour to be abolished. ASPEK President, Bro Koswara gave a statement to the public at the rally. Meanwhile in the USA, thousands of CWA members marched to the White House. CWA Members fed up with the erosion of workers' rights in the USA, formed a giant picket line in front of the White House to demand that the Bush administration and American employers recognize that workers' rights are fundamental human rights. Various other rallies took place across the USA including a large rally in Boston. CWA President, Larry Cohen helped to lead the crowd of over 3,000 to the White House.

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Asean Charter Campaign Success!

UNI was the only Global Union Federation invited to attend the Asean Civil Society Conference in Malaysia on 7 December 2005 where UNI-Apro took an active role in the discussions as well as taking part in the drafting of the conference statement which was presented to the Summit of the Head of Governments of the Asean States. A statement was presented on behalf of UNI to the conference which can be seen at http://www.union-network.org/uniapron.nsf/By+Date/E3EF0B43F7AEF5C3C12570D70005E3F2?OpenDocument, UNI Telecom affiliates of the South East Asia region met in Malaysia in November and gave their full support to the campaign for an Asean social charter. This campaign has been successful as the Asean Leaders at the Civil Society Conference have agreed to have an Asean charter that would reaffirm principles and goals on various agreements. UNI will work closely with the other Global Union Federations and the ICFTU to campaign for social dimension in the economic integration process.

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Montenegro

UNI has protested to Magyar Telekom over their anti-union actions where they are not consulting the union after taking over Telecom Montenegro. The company is reducing the workforce by up to 50% in one year, 23% has already been achieved again without any consultation with the union. UNI informed the CEO of Magyar Telekom that UNI fully supported the Montenegro Telecom Union in their fight for justice and urged the company to rectify the lack of consultation with the union in order to resolve the outstanding issues and to stop any anti-union behaviour that is being practiced in the company. A copy of the letter was also sent to the CEO of Deutsche Telekom as the parent company. The full letter is available at : http://www.uniglobalunion.org/UNITelecom.nsf/0/161205_EN_96

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Peru: UNI affiliates develop website

Under the UNI On-Line and UNI Bridge projects, the UNI affiliates in Peru have developed a web page where the unions can put information of interest to their members. UNI's telecom affiliates in Peru have a presence on this page and have been part of the project. The UNI Peru web page can be found at: www.uniperu.org

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Zimbabwe

UNI have written to President Mugabe and also to three state-owned companies in Zimbabwe to condemn their behaviour where they are using the courts to ensure that any labour dispute issues take a longer time to resolve at the cost of the workers. Some workers in Zimbabwe have not been paid for nearly two years! The UNI-Africa Telecom Committee met in Johannesburg in November and made a resolution that noted with concern the deepening crisis affecting the communications industry in Zimbabwe, as well as the deteriorating economic and social situation. UNI has asked UNI Telecom affiliates to support our colleagues by writing similar letters to the President of Zimbabwe, TelOne, NetOne and Zimpost. The resolution is available at http://www.uniglobalunion.org/UNITelecom.nsf/0/161205_EN_96

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Forthcoming UNI Telecom Events in 2005 / 2006

31.01.2006 - UNI-Europa Telecom Steering Group, Nyon, Switzerland

20-21.04.2006 - UNI-Europa Telecom Committee, Luxembourg

14.06.2006 - UNI Telecom World Committee, Nyon, Switzerland

14-15.06.2006 - UNI Telecom World Meeting, Nyon, Switzerland

24-25.10.2006 - UNI-Europa Telecom Committee, Luxembourg

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UNI Telecom Global Bulletin
Please send your telecom union news to colin.medland@uniglobalunion.org
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