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TUC and British unions expect better of Deutsche Telekom, German Ambassador told

Issue date
Solidarity with US workers

Deutsche Telekom campaign

21 June 2011

As part of a global campaign by trade unions to get union rights for workers employed in foreign subsidiaries of Deutsche Telekom, TUC General Secretary Brendan Barber and telecommunication union General Secretaries Billy Hayes of the CWU and Paul Noon of Prospect have written to the German Ambassador in London.

As part of the We Expect Better campaign run by the International Trade Union Confederation and Global Unions, unions around the world are pressing the German Government to use its shareholding in the company to demand action in countries like the USA where Deutsche Telekom's subsidiary has been conducting anti-union campaigns against unionisation attempts.

The letter to the German Ambassador follows:

HE Mr Georg Boomgaarden
Ambassador
Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany
23 Belgrave Square
London SW1X 8PZ

Dear Ambassador

End Deutsche Telekom`'s Opposition to Bargaining Rights for T-Mobile USA Workers

On behalf of the British trade union movement generally and the unions representing telecommunications workers in our country we would ask you to urge the German government and in particular the Minister of Finance (the government representative on the Deutsche Telekom supervisory board) to press Deutsche Telekom to ensure the fundamental rights of workers employed at its subsidiaries around the world.

We are doing this in support of the We Expect Better campaign run by UNI Global Union and its affiliates, ver.di in Germany and the Communications Workers of America, alongside the International Trade Union Confederation, the AFL-CIO of the United States, and the DGB of Germany.

Deutsche Telekom has a tradition of collective bargaining and social dialogue with ver.di, which has fostered a productive and prosperous company, an economically stable workforce, and a stronger national democracy. As the largest shareholder, the German government holds particular responsibility for the behaviour of the corporation, not only in Germany but around the world.

Outside Germany, management at Deutsche Telekom's subsidiaries often abandons the practices of its home country and adopts the worst practices of the host countries: disrespect for workers, fear and intimidation for workers who speak up, and reprisals when they seek to join a union.

At T-Systems in Mexico workers report fear of reprisals from the employer and from employer-controlled fraudulent unions, should they speak up about their concerns on the job or seek legitimate worker-led union representation.

In the United States workers face anti-union behaviour by Deutsche Telekom's subsidiary T-Mobile USA that includes fear and intimidation, as well as management surveillance of union activities.

In early June T-Mobile USA workers reported that the company had actively campaigned to oppose their efforts to organise. When workers in Connecticut and in two New York locations sought to establish union representation through a National Labor Relations Board supervised election procedure, the company began a campaign to undermine the will of the workers and dissuade them from exercising their right to join a union. In one location T-Mobile USA has taken legal measures which will delay the union election and allow the company time to apply intensive pressure on the workers to abandon their decision to form a union at their workplace.

In the United States AT&T recently entered into an acquisition agreement to purchase T-Mobile USA's operations and the CWA and its allies have actively supported and advocated for the approval of the deal by U.S. regulators and government officials. When the acquisition is complete, current T-Mobile USA workers will be able to organize into unions without opposition from management under an existing CWA agreement with AT&T.

We believe, however, that T-Mobile USA workers should not have to wait to exercise their basic right to join a union. They should be able to organize now, free from fear. They should be able to gain a voice now that will carry through the transition and into their new employment situation once the acquisition is complete.

We expect better from a company that has a demonstrated track-record in Germany of respect for labour rights. We respectfully request that the German government, as a major shareholder in Deutsche Telekom, take the necessary steps to ensure that the company demonstrates respect for the rights of its workers in the United States. Deutsche Telekom and T-Mobile USA must end the campaign of fear and pressure to undermine the will of the workers to join and participate in the union and must also implement a policy in which management agrees not to oppose the organizing efforts of T-Mobile USA workers and allows workers the freedom to participate in union activities without fear of reprisals or job loss.

T-Mobile USA workers deserve to be afforded the same rights as their German counterparts as they work with the company through the acquisition process and beyond.

We further call upon Deutsche Telekom to reach agreement with UNI Global Union on a global framework agreement, to ensure respect for fundamental workers' rights throughout its global operations.

I would be grateful for an early response to the points made in this letter, and I would be grateful if you could convey its contents to the Minister of Finance of the Federal Republic of Germany.

Yours sincerely

BRENDAN BARBER

TUC General Secretary

BILLY HAYES

Communication Workers Union General Secretary

PAUL NOON

Prospect General Secretary

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