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Hundreds of trade union activists gathered in Berlin for the ITUC World Congress marched on the headquarters of Deutsche Telekom’s offices in the German capital.

Philip Jennings roused the crowd, paid tribute to CWA, Ver.Di and DGB for standing up for T-Mobile workers in the United States and called upon Deutsche Telekom to do the right thing.

"We are not asking for "pie in the sky" - this is as basic as ham and eggs - the basic right to decent work. T-Mobile we expect better," Jennings said.

The UNI General Secretary then handed over a letter containing the demands to a representative of the T-Mobile management board, asking Deutsche Telekom to ensure that its workers at T-Mobile in the United States are treated as fairly as they are in Germany.

CWA President Larry Cohen told T-Mobile that they could run but they could not hide. The world's labour movement drawn from all corners of the globe was standing firm against them and would not be moved until they changed their behaviour.

Cohen then praised the US T-Mobile workers who had dared to stand up against the management and fight for decent work and the right to organise even at the cost of their own jobs.

Lothar Schröeder, Head of Ver.Di Telecom said Ver.Di and its partners where there to insist Deutsche Telekom lives up to its responsibilities.

Billy Hayes, General Secretary of CWU brought a message of solidarity from the postal workers of the UK. Hayes reminded the crowd of how T-Mobile in the UK had tried to block unions there before the company was sold off. In a defiant message of support Hayes said that T-Mobile workers in the United States would never walk alone.