The German trade union for employees in the service sector, Ver.di, has warned that 61,000 employees of Deutsche Telekom (DT), more than initially estimated, could be affected by the company’s plans to separate some service activities, such as call centers, into separate units.
"We are afraid that 61,400 employees could be affected by the company’s plans to separate parts of its activities," said union spokesman Jan Jurczyk. Although this could be about 15,000 more than previously estimated, Deutsche Telekom claims that the new figures are "pure fiction." DT emphasizes that its goal is to reduce costs by separating some service activities, such as call centers, into separate units.
The union stated that there are indications that cost-cutting measures could affect more areas of business than the telecom operator initially planned. The supervisory board of DT is expected to approve the plans at a meeting next Wednesday, Jurczyk said. Furthermore, DT’s plans for asset sales could affect approximately 13,000 jobs, according to Ver.di. The union has announced protests against the company’s plans, which will take place next week in Bonn. (H)
