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Germans assume $10bn for 3G. The German finance minister will present a 2001 federal budget that assumes some $9.7bn will be raised from auctioning new generation mobile telephone licences. Financial Times, 19/06/00
Italy set for mobile bonanza. The Italian government is expecting to raise at least $9.8bn from the sale of five third generation mobile licences later this year. Financial Times, 19/06/00
Deutsche Telekom results. Financial Times, 19/06/00
A secondary share offering by Telmex, the Mexican telecoms group, is expected to be an important indicator of investor confidence in the country.. Financial Times, 19/06/00
Post Office plunges into loss. The Post Office reports its first full year loss in 24 years after a computerised benefits payment system is abandoned. BBC
- Post Office set to announce first loss in 25 years. Reuters
C&W FACES CARIBBEAN MONOPOLY CHALLENGE-PAPER. Reuters
BT faces net access probe. BT is facing a probe by the government phones watchdog for allegedly restricting consumer freedom on its mobile web applications. Financial Times, 17/06/00
GTE, Bell merger go-ahead. US regulators give telecoms firms GTE and Bell Atlantic the go-ahead for their $65bn merger, two years after it was announced. BBC, 17/06/00
- Bell Atlantic/GTE deal cleared. Bell Atlantic was cleared by the Federal Communications Commission to complete its $66bn purchase of fellow local carrier GTE on Friday, ending an approval process that had taken nearly two years. Financial Times, 17/06/00
Crackdown on Fiji Workers Intensifies. Manhandled, verbally abused, sworn at and spat at for about three hours by members of the Fiji military, the Fiji TUC national secretary Felix Anthony is convinced it all happened on orders from the top in an attempt to silence him. LaborNET, Australia 16/06/00
- Fiji unionist's home arson target. THUGS tried to burn down the home of trade unionist Diwan Shankar in Suva but were foiled by neighbours who alerted police, the Fiji website, Fijilive, has just reported. Mr Shankar, Assistant General Secretary of the Fiji Trades Union Congress, was not at home when the fire started on Sunday night. LaborNET, Australia
- UNION ANGER AS BT SEEKS TO AXE 215 BELFAST JOBS. BT/Cellnet is to axe 215 jobs from Belfast city centre in a move the Communication Workers Union has described as 'heartless and appalling'. CWU, 14/06/00
- Tech billionaires dominate rich list. The world's richest people are dominated by high-tech billionaries, with Bill Gates still at the top despite Microsoft's share slump. BBC
- T-Online quashes Freeserve rumours. Europe's largest internet service provider T-Online dampens rumours that it was set to bid for Freeserve. BBC
- Mobiles to beam into new age. Your mobile phone could soon resemble the lapel badges worn by crewmembers on Star Trek. BBC
NTT sale becomes election issue. High-ranking political leaders have had much to say about the telecoms industry as they prime voters for forthcoming Lower House elections. Financial Times 13/06/00
China Unicom raises IPO price. China Unicom, China's second largest telecoms company, on Monday raised the size of its planned share offering to up to US$5bn, making it one of Asia's biggest IPOs. Financial Times 13/06/00
Vodafone and BT settle dispute. Vodafone Airtouch and BT have reached agreement over control of Spain's second-largest mobile phone company. BBC 12/06/00
International tele-servicing company Cap Gemini is to create 700 jobs at an unemployment blackspot in the Highlands. BBC 12/06/00
- Valley 'most polluted area'. The Forth Valley is named Scotland's most polluted zone in a report by an environmental watchdog. BBC
- Firms urged to root out bullies. Companies are urged to root out bullying in the workplace after a report says the problem is costing British industry £2bn each year. BBC 11/06/00
NTL 'is Freeserve favourite'. Cable television company NTL is the favourite bidder for the UK's largest internet service provider, Freeserve, according to a report. BBC 11/06/00
- Virgin in phone talks. Sir Richard Branson's Virgin Group is reportedly in talks with international mobile operators in a bid to beat rival Orange in going global. BBC 11/06/00
- Japan to privatise telecom giant. The Japanese Prime Minister calls for the full privatisation of telecommunications giant, NTT. BBC 11/06/00
Orange to strengthen Europe, then focus on U.S. (Reuters), Saturday June 10. NEW YORK (Reuters) - Orange, the British wireless carrier being acquired by France Telecom for $37 billion (24.5 billion pounds), will focus on Germany and strengthening its presence throughout Europe before moving into the United States, the company's financial director said.
- UPC closer to Deutsche Telekom cable deal, Financial Times, 10/06/00
- KPN-Telefónica link revived after political talks. Dutch telecoms group KPN said it would welcome back its would-be merger partner Telefónica as it emerged that the Spanish group's chairman Juan Villalonga was close to overcoming political objections to the deal. Financial Times, 10/06/00
- Spain to end Telefónica's local monopoly. Financial Times
- Carphone Warehouse plans portal. Carphone Warehouse, the UK mobile phone retailer aiming for a £2bn flotation, is to launch its own wireless access internet portal. Financial Times
- Web cars contract jobs boost. Scottish telecoms company Thus wins a £5.5m contract which promises 50 new jobs for Glasgow. BBC
- New laws allow employees to force union recognition, but some companies are taking steps to smash workers' rights. New laws which form the bedrock of government plans to bolster workers' rights face a backlash from American-style "union busters". BBC, 09/06/00
- IT Week: France Telecom's e-trade spree (ZDNet UK) Friday June 9. France Telecom's purchase of Orange is just part of a plan to offer a wider range of communication services to firms and consumers in Europe. Like its rivals, it must do so to survive
- IT Week: Fat pipes in the sky. (ZDNet UK) Friday June 9
- Judge rules that Microsoft must be split in two (ZDNet UK)
- BT looks to catch wave (ZDNet UK)
- Judge orders Microsoft broken in two (ZDNet UK)
Minister speaks at CWU Conference: CWU WELCOMES STEPHEN BYERS''REASSURANCE'. Trade and Industry Secretary Stephen Byers assures delegates that the Post Office "will remain 100 per cent publicly owned" and tells of his vision for increased use of telecommunications. CWU
- [Byers' pledge on Postal Services] CWU
- [Byers' announces TV plan for BT] CWU
- Telecom Italia to set up European Works Councils. UNI - Union Network International
- Download Luis Neves PowerPoint presentation on UNI Telecom. UNI - Union Network International
- Days lost to disputes falling. The number of days lost to strike action in the UK last year was the second lowest on record. BBC
- NTL buys Leicester City stake. Telecoms company NTL invests £12.5m in Leicester City football club in exchange for a stake of just under 10%. BBC
Call centre attacked after closure. An investigation is underway after windows at a call centre in south Wales were smashed just hours after hundreds of workers lost their jobs. The offices of 1st Line in Swansea were attacked on Wednesday night after the company had announced that 2,000 workers would lose their jobs. BBC 08/06/00
- Has Microsoft stifled innovation? Computer history shows Microsoft has never invented the technologies it makes popular. BBC
- Fiji Unions call on workers to bring nation to a halt [SMH] 02-Jun-2000
- LabourStart's coverage of the Fiji coup
Vodafone plays down tax row. Vodafone AirTouch attempted on Thursday to play down its threat to quit Britain after a taxation crackdown. Financial Times, 01/06/00
- D.Telekom wants four more 3G licences -paper. Reuters, 02/06/00
- DT faces $23bn 3G price tag. Deutsche Telekom will have to spend at least DM50bn ($23.6bn) if it is to have any chance of winning licences in all of the 3G mobile phone contests in which it plans to enter bids. Financial Times, 01/06/00
CANADA: TECHNICAL GLITCH HALTS TRADING IN NORTEL. Financial Times, 01/06/00
PORTUGAL: UPDATE 1-PORTUGAL LISTS TELECOM FOR PRIVATISATION. Financial Times, 01/06/00
REPUBLIC OF IRELAND: ENERGIS, VIRIDIAN JV TO CREATE 100 JOBS. Financial Times, 01/06/00
- BT takes unprecedented legal action vs Oftel (Reuters)
- BT: Surftime "could die a death" (ZDNet UK)
- BT's monopoly of the Net ends Wednesday(ZDNet UK)
New Mobile landscape. Europes mobile phone industry is changing after a wave of consolidation. BBC, 01/06/00
- Microsoft verdict delayed. The judge in the anti-trust trial against Microsoft delays his decision by a week to give both sides more time to present their arguments. BBC, 01/06/00
- Canada woos Microsoft. British Columbia is encouraging embattled software giant Microsoft to relocate north of the border, potentially escaping US legal action. BBC, 01/06/00
- BT pensioners buy Centre Point. BT's pension fund and General Electric, the world's richest company, link to buy property firm MEPC, owner of London landmark Centre Point. BBC, 01/06/00
Korea Tens of thousands participate in first day of general strike [Korea Times] 01-Jun-2000
Fiji Union leaders meet with Fiji's military rulers [LNN] 01-Jun-2000
WorldCom/MCI/Sprint Campaign, UNI Telecom
UNION ATTACKS 'ARROGANT AND INCOMPETENT' EURO PROPOSALS. CWU General Secretary Derek Hodgson has hit out at the European Commissioner's plans for liberalisation of UK postal services as bad for workers and customers. He said it would cost up to 50,000 jobs, and wipe out Royal Mail's profits. CWU
Fiji Union leader safe as military dictatorship imposed[Workers Online] 29-May-2000
Fiji Global union boycotts to start; demand release of hostages, return of democracy [Workers Online] 28-May-2000
- Bid fever for Freeserve. Speculation is growing that T-Online, Germany's largest internet service provider, is preparing to buy Freeserve. BBC, 29/05/00
Orange set to go French. France Telecom is expected to buy UK mobile phone company Orange for around £30bn on Tuesday.BBC, 29/05/00
Orange agreement close. France Telecom and Vodafone Airtouch are expected to announce on Tuesday that they have reached agreement on the sale of Orange to the French group. Financial Times, 29/05/00
Telefónica deal draws fire. Telefónica risks alienating investors in Latin America when it swaps billions of dollars worth of shares to take full control of four major subsidiaries in the region. Financial Times, 29/05/00
Vodafone to plunder assets for 3G mobiles (Reuters)
'Historic' ruling on internet access. BT has been ordered to let its competitors supply unmetered access to the web over its network, in what is being hailed as a landmark decision. BBC
NTL top bid for Premier soccer TV rights - paper (Reuters)
France Telecom set to clinch Orange for 25 billion (Reuters)
Corporate killers face crackdown [BBC] 23-May-2000
Bosses to face the law over killer accidents [Independent] 23-May-2000
The CWU and you - for employees at Alphameric, Peak and Microskill. CWU - the union for cable and telecom
Kingston hit by investments. Kingston Communications, the Hull-based UK telecoms group, on Monday announced a fall in pre-tax profits and said it would continue the national rollout of its Torch business network. Financial Times, 22/05/00
Kingston profits fall. Kingston Communications reports profits down but ahead of analysts' exectations after a year of strong growth. BBC, 22/05/00
Brussels starts action against UK. The European Commission has started legal proceedings against the UK government over its regulation of the telecommunications industry. Financial Times, 22/05/00
Vivendi warns on mobile auction. Vivendi said the French government would be guilty of "short-term speculation" if it copied Britain's method of auctioning 3G wireless licences. Financial Times, 22/05/00
Telecoms try to sell their charms. Upcoming telecoms issues face brutal competition, pressure on margins and rapid changes in technology. Financial Times, 22/05/00
The Fiji Trade Union Congress has called for a nation-wide stoppage on Monday to battle the coup-makers who are holding the Labour PM, Mahendra Chaudry, hostage in Parliament House in the national capital of Suva. Labor Council of NSW, 20/05/00
Telecom sell-off drives down Europe. Financial Times, 20/05/00
Sweden cautious over Telia listing. Financial Times, 20/05/00
- SingTel and Virgin in $1bn deal. SingTel Mobile and Virgin on Friday joined forces in a $1bn venture offering cellular services in Asia. Financial Times, 20/05/00
- Virgin in $1bn mobile deal. Virgin Group is in a $1bn mobile telephone deal with Sing Tel Mobile to provide mobile services in Asia. BBC, 20/05/00
Telekom eyes French auction. Deutsche Telekom said it would be a candidate for a French next-generation high-capacity mobile phone licence. Financial Times, 20/05/00
Protesters pursue Hague. Conservative leader William Hague is chased by demonstrators during a walkabout in Edinburgh. BBC, 20/05/00
Assembly First Secretary Rhodri Morgan has praised Wales's 'purple patch' of call centre jobs. Wales has added to its reputation as a magnet for call centre companies with the opening of the latest site. CyberCall's new centre in Cardigan brings the number of call centre jobs coming to Wales this year to 1,500. BBC, 19/05/00
- Mobile phone worms pose massive threat. Mobile phone worms will be far more virulent than current desktop versions according to IBM anti-virus experts. Yahoo/ZDNet UK, 19/05/00
CWU URGES BT'S GROWTH IN LIGHT OF PROFIT DIP. General Secretary Derek Hodgson said there were understandable reasons behind BT's disappointing end of year figures, but encouraged the company to make the most of its experienced staff and make its long-term strategy to invest in multi-media. CWU, 18/05/00
Competition hits BT. British Telecom reports a fall in profits as competition grows despite an internet-fuelled growth in turnover. BBC, 18/05/00
WorldCom-Sprint merger under threat. The $130bn telecoms merger between Worldcom and Sprint may be blocked by US competition authorities. BBC
Incapacity Bill given Royal Assent. One of the first major pieces of legislation passed by the Scottish Parliament has been given Royal Assent and has become law. BBC
Planning call - Mobile masts make waves. BBC
C&W profits down 23%. Cable and Wireless, the UK-based global communications group, on Wednesday announced a yearly pre-tax profit of £1.12bn. Financial Times, 17/05/00
C&W pre-tax profits fall 23 percent. Reuters, 17/05/00
Pension victims face 'delay'. Up to one million victims of the UK's pensions mis-selling scandal face a delay in compensation, a report says. BBC, 17/05/00
News Corp's satellite web. News Corporation expects two or three other companies to be involved in its soon-to-be launched satellite internet concern as minority shareholders, Peter Chernin, president of the global media group said yesterday. Guardian, 17/05/00
Telefónica reports rise in profits. Telefónica on Tuesday reported a rise in net profit of 34 per cent for the first quarter, at the same time as its internet subsidiary Terra Networks was reported to be concluding a merger with US portal Lycos. Financial Times, 16/05/00
Energis beats forecasts. Telecoms operator Energis posts better than expected financial results, but the jury is still out for BT later in the week. BBC,16/05/00
Energis earnings up 86%. Energis, the UK telecoms operator, said earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation rose 86 per cent to £92.3m ($139.7m) in the year ended 31 March. Financial Times, 16/05/00
Ericsson to build Vodafone's UK 3G network. Vodafone, the world's largest mobile phone group, has selected Swedish telecoms group Ericsson as its principal supplier of infrastructure for its 3G mobile network. Financial Times, 16/05/00
Japan stiffens mobile rules. The Japanese government plans to enforce strict standards for mobile phone emissions in response to growing concerns about the impact of electromagnetic radiation on the brain. Financial Times, 16/05/00
E-commerce security boon. The British Chambers of Commerce links up with the Royal Mail to offer businesses the chance to trade securely online at a low cost. BBC,16/05/00
Mass labour protest in China. More than 1,000 factory workers demanding unpaid wages besiege a city hall in northern China after violent clashes with police. BBC,16/05/00
Unemployed offered computer training. A £25m scheme to give free computer training to unemployed people is launched. BBC,16/05/00
Pensions court victory for part-timers. Thousands of part-time workers win a claim in the European Court for billions of pounds in backdated pensions. BBC,16/05/00
UNIONS WIN BACKDATED PENSIONS FOR PART-TIME WORKERS. A TUC campaign has given around 60,000 workers - mostly women - pension rights backdated to 1976 following a ruling by the European Court of Justice. The Luxembourg court had originally said part-time employees had been discriminated against where they had not been allowed to full pension rights. CWU, 16/05/00
Call centre staff axed on screen. About 45 Vodafone workers were sacked by computer when a message flashed on screen: "Please log off your computer and clear your desk." On Friday the mobile phone firm announced it was to close five of its 13 call centres.
One former employee at the Aztec West centre, near Bristol, said: "People were looking at their screens when the message appeared. Five minutes later, we were called into a meeting and told that we no longer had jobs."
A spokesman said: "I don't think it was supposed to happen that way."
from the Guardian, 15/05/00
BT GETS HIGH COURT BOOST IN FIGHT WITH GOVERNMENT. BT has been granted the go-ahead to seek a judicial review of whether the government should have made it pay immediately for the licence the company won in the recent auction to run third generation mobile phones. BT says Vodafone and Orange have an unfair advantage as their payments have been deferred. CWU, 15/05/00
Sub-contracting: maybe sub-contractors need a union! UNI - Union Network International
Brussels under pressure on MCI/Sprint merger. The European Commission is coming under mounting pressure to block the $130bn merger of MCI Worldcom and Sprint, which opponents say would put the bulk of Europe's internet traffic into US hands. Financial Times, 15/05/00
Rivals can challenge '£2m a day' leeway for Vodafone. Guardian, 13/05/00
Legal battle over mobile auction goes ahead. BT has been granted leave by the High Court to challenge the government over the way it has handled the mobile phone auction. BBC, 12/05/00
Survey: FT Telecoms. Spectacular deals and acquisitions indicate that convergence is now becoming a reality. For the operators, transformation is urgent. Financial Times
The £22bn auction, BBC
- Winners and losers, BBC
- How consumers will be affected, BBC
- Why £22bn is hard to handle, BBC 09 May 00
- Legal threat to mobile auction, BBC 08 May 00
- UK mobile phone auction nets billions, BBC 27 Apr 00
EU DIRECTIVE THREATENS ROYAL MAIL JOBS. CWU General Secretary Derek Hodgson warns that a Euro Commission proposal to open national postal services to wider competition would lead to thousands of job cuts, more threats to rural post offices, and a poor deal for customers. CWU, 11/05/00
NTL calls auction time-out, BBC 26 Apr 00
- Phone link. May 10 2000. Dutch telecoms company KPN yesterday clinched a 5bn euro (£3bn) deal with Japanese cellphone operator NTT Docomo, but shares tumbled as investors questioned whether the two could take on Europe's heavyweights. Guardian
Transco hits telecoms trail May 10 2000. Transco, the domestic arm of about-to-demerge British Gas, yesterday built on earlier plans to break into the telecoms business with proposals to spend £235m building a fibre optic network to connect 12 major cities, including London. The system will be based mainly on Transco's pipeline routes. Guardian
NTL to go for mobile network by the back door . May 05 2000. NTL, Britain's biggest cable company, which last week fell at the final hurdle in the government's auction of next-generation mobile phone licences, has revived plans to launch a "virtual" network. Guradian
Vertex Wins £140M Contract to Provide Operator Services to Cable & Wireless Communications, Vertex, 27 March 2000
South Wales received a pre-Budget jobs boost with the announcement of 1,300 new call centre jobs. Mobile phone company First Line is expanding its operations in Cardiff and Swansea while British Telecom is opening a new centre at Nantgarw near Caerphilly. BBC, 21/03/00
999 FIRM GETS THE SACK. Cable & Wireless has ended its contract with Excell Multimedia, which took emergency calls and directory inquiries for the phone giant from centres in Glasgow and Birmingham. Daily Record, 21/03/00
Vodafone set to beat BT for Airtel control. Yahoo, Monday March 20
The Critchley Labels Dispute: what is a "techno-strike"?
Marketing Trade Unions - a Manual by Allen PascoeWhat are Interest-Based Negotiations? New Zealand trade unionist Allen Pascoe explains what they are and why we should be interested in them.Monopoly and Competition in British Telecommunications by John Harper. The former Director of BT's Inland Division defends the record of publicly owned telecommunications. Reproduced with permission from his recent book."Return of the Job Killers" - and we thought we knew the meaning of 'convergence'.... (published in May/June, 1996, Scottish Trade Union Review )"Communications, Computing and Broadcasting" - Digits and Jobs: a severe case of compression (published March/April, 1996, Trade Union News)"Organising on The Internet!" - threats and challenges facing telecommunications workers, and some new(?) organising ideas (published in February/March, 1996, Focus - magazine of the Communications Workers Union )"Wired, Weird and Wonderful - Thomas Paine and the Internet" - some thoughts following an article in WIRED magazine (published in Focus, (CWU) and Scottish Trade Union Review, 1995)
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