Global Unions Call on T-Mobile to Respect Workers’ Rights

[Omaha Steve]

by James Parks, Apr 15, 2010


Protestors march outside the German Embassy in Washington, D.C., in 2007 to demand justice for Deutsche Telekom workers.


n many countries around the world, T-Mobile USA’s parent Deutsche Telekom (DT) follows internationally recognized labor and human rights, including the freedom of association and the freedom to join a union. But not in this country. Instead, the German company allows management to harass and intimidate workers who want to join a union.

In a joint press conference last week, the Communications Workers of America (CWA), ver.di, the German telecommunications workers union, and UNI Global Union, said this double standard must end now. UNI, CWA and ver.di are pressing DT for a global agreement that would protect the fundamental labor rights of the company’s workers worldwide.

CWA President Larry Cohen told reporters:

T-Mobile USA…chooses to ally with the worst of U.S. managers who fight collective bargaining for employees in every imaginable way. These companies use the loopholes in current U.S. labor law that support and permit anti-union campaigning by management.

Cohen pointed out that one major U.S. telecom company, AT&T, has agreed to remain neutral when workers are choosing whether to join a union and to recognize the union based on a majority sign-up. DT is even failing to meet standards set by two of its competitors, France Telecom and Telefonica, which have signed global agreements with UNI respecting workers’ rights to organize and bargain collectively.

Lother Schroder, an executive board member at ver.di, said DT is ignoring its own social charter, which calls for compliance with international labor and human rights rules.