T-Mobile Workers Hit By Outsourcing

T-Mobile has named Ericsson as the supplier for the outsourcing of their Field Operations division. On this blog we usually concentrate on Vodafone however it is useful to be aware of activities affecting union members elsewhere in the telecoms industry as Vodafone are often a trend follower.

T-mobile have started the process of consulting workers however the consultation period has been cut from 90 to 30 days, which demonstrates how little value the company place in consulting with it’s employees about important issues such as job security and pensions.

T-Mobile previously committed to giving workers 6 months “job security” however when Hutchinson 3G staff were transferred to Ericsson they were guaranteed a job for 2 years. There is a defined benefit pension scheme on the table but this falls well short of the scheme currently provided by T-mobile.

Connect don’t currently have union recognition in T-mobile so the union is providing all the advice and support possible. Hopefully enough workers will join in the next few weeks to allow a recognition claim as by negotiating collectively the workers bargaining position is much stronger.

In Vodafone our Combined Field Force teams are covered by Connect’s recognition in Regional Operations North and South. With outsourcing operations now been discussed as part of the Orange/Vodafone shared business unit this could be vital.

Outsourcing does seem to be the current flavour in Vodafone so it’s vital that we get union recognition in as many areas of the company as possible. If you’re not already a member of Connect join the fight for a real voice in your workplace today.