T-Mobile staff seek jobs promise from DT boss - Mobile World Live

T-Mobile staff seek jobs promise from DT boss

05 SEP 2019

T-Mobile US staff challenged Deutsche Telekom chief Timotheus Hoettges (pictured) to issue a firm pledge on job security if a pending merger with domestic rival Sprint is given the go ahead.

In a letter, retail staff and technicians in the T-Mobile United union pressed Hoettges for “solid and verifiable assurances” the combined operator will not “discard the front-line workers who have made T-Mobile and Sprint so successful”.

They also urged Hoettges to return outsourced jobs to the US and halt management interference in worker attempts to unionise.

Reuters reported T-Mobile United has around 500 members and is backed by the Communications Workers of America (CWA) along with German union ver.di.

Though T-Mobile and Sprint argued the merger will create thousands of new jobs, CWA previously estimated it will lead to the loss of 30,000 positions as duplicate stores and roles are eliminated.

Growing challenge
The workers’ plea came as Illinois became the latest US state to join a legal challenge to the merger lodged by the attorney generals of several US states and the District of Colombia.

In a statement, New York attorney general Letitia James (pictured, right) said Illinois’ move meant “more than half the US population is represented by states that are suing to block the anticompetitive” deal. James noted the state is the 17th to join the action, adding the coalition believes the transaction is “bad for consumers, bad for workers and bad for innovation”.

The operators have already secured approval from the Department of Justice and Federal Communications Commission, though the latter faced criticism for pressing ahead without seeking additional public comments on the deal.



Michael Carroll


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