Read All About It...Vodafone Come Clean....

Vodafone have now come clean and published a note to workers accepting the accuracy of yesterday’s Guardian article. The JV with Orange looks like it’s dead in the water, for the moment at least. Co-operation between the 2 companies will go no further than site sharing.

However, there is still a commitment from both Vodafone and Orange to outsource Field Operations and Maintenance. This is subject to current negotiations with potential suppliers and is likely to me in place within the next 6 months. So after over a year where many Connect members have felt no long term job security the waiting continues.

There is also a caveat that in the long term full network sharing is still desirable. Many people would suggest that this is something that OFCOM should look at very closely as it is essentially reducing competition.

Staff working on the joint venture will be returning to their parent companies, but what happens to those who’s former jobs have been filled? Paul Whybrow isn’t the only person in this position.
Yet again we have seen announcements critical to the lives of Vodafone employees in the media before we have been informed. Large amounts of hot air are generated by the company’s employee communications team, but for any remotely relevant to workers the newspapers are the first to know. Here’s an idea to cut global warming – scrap the glossy magazines and snazzy email bulletins and issue a copy of the Guardian on every desk daily.