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UNI Pushes to Organize Global Wireless Industry
The world’s telecommunications unions set organizing the wireless industry as their top goal at this year’s annual conference of the Telecom Sector of Union Network International (UNI).
Meeting April 11 and 12 in Nyon, Switzerland, UNI’s headquarters site, the more than 100 delegates adopted a plan to set up “virtual committees” using the Internet to target international wireless companies for unionization, and called for global organizing actions to take place May 27-31.
“We’re finding new ways to represent our members in the global economy and to work together internationally to deal with multinational employers,” said CWA Executive Vice President Larry Cohen, who serves as president of the UNI Telecom Sector.
“We recognize the need to focus on wireless as well as wireline, and to take an international approach in supporting each other — whether it is fighting a company if necessary, or building cooperative efforts with employers where that is possible,” he said.
The virtual committees will communicate through email lists to issue information bulletins, share research on multinational companies, and spotlight problems requiring support from UNI and its affiliates.
CWA is taking the lead on establishing the virtual committee for SBC, and other affiliates are setting up networks for such world wireless players as Singtel (Singapore), Telestra (Asia and Australia), Vodafone (Great Britain), Telefonica (Spain), Deutsche Telekom (Germany) and France Telecom (France).
Delegates heard reports on trends in the industry and development of the next generation of wireless technology.
The conference also heard a disturbing report on repression of workers’ and citizens’ rights in Zimbabwe from the leader of the Posts & Telecom Union there, Gift Chimanikire, who also is head of the nation’s opposition party.
Following a rigged election in March, Zimbabwe President Robert Mugave has enforced laws denying food to those who don’t carry a membership card in Mugave’s party and targeted organized labor by requiring a police presence at any union meetings and authorizing use of force to block worker organizing or promotion of strikes, Chimanikire reported.
Said Cohen: “We all know that organizing work is tough, but very few of us risk our lives and our safety. Gift is a hero to us all.”
The participants unanimously signed a petition calling for free elections and condemning attacks on workers and union leaders.
UNI represents 15 million workers who belong to about 1,000 affiliated unions worldwide.
Meeting April 11 and 12 in Nyon, Switzerland, UNI’s headquarters site, the more than 100 delegates adopted a plan to set up “virtual committees” using the Internet to target international wireless companies for unionization, and called for global organizing actions to take place May 27-31.
“We’re finding new ways to represent our members in the global economy and to work together internationally to deal with multinational employers,” said CWA Executive Vice President Larry Cohen, who serves as president of the UNI Telecom Sector.
“We recognize the need to focus on wireless as well as wireline, and to take an international approach in supporting each other — whether it is fighting a company if necessary, or building cooperative efforts with employers where that is possible,” he said.
The virtual committees will communicate through email lists to issue information bulletins, share research on multinational companies, and spotlight problems requiring support from UNI and its affiliates.
CWA is taking the lead on establishing the virtual committee for SBC, and other affiliates are setting up networks for such world wireless players as Singtel (Singapore), Telestra (Asia and Australia), Vodafone (Great Britain), Telefonica (Spain), Deutsche Telekom (Germany) and France Telecom (France).
Delegates heard reports on trends in the industry and development of the next generation of wireless technology.
The conference also heard a disturbing report on repression of workers’ and citizens’ rights in Zimbabwe from the leader of the Posts & Telecom Union there, Gift Chimanikire, who also is head of the nation’s opposition party.
Following a rigged election in March, Zimbabwe President Robert Mugave has enforced laws denying food to those who don’t carry a membership card in Mugave’s party and targeted organized labor by requiring a police presence at any union meetings and authorizing use of force to block worker organizing or promotion of strikes, Chimanikire reported.
Said Cohen: “We all know that organizing work is tough, but very few of us risk our lives and our safety. Gift is a hero to us all.”
The participants unanimously signed a petition calling for free elections and condemning attacks on workers and union leaders.
UNI represents 15 million workers who belong to about 1,000 affiliated unions worldwide.