News

UNI-Europa Telecom, the trade union federation representing one million telecom workers in Europe, sounds a warning note today over the European Commission’s planned revision of the electronic communications rules.



A meeting of affected trade unions in Brussels, 27-29 February, agreed that the Commission was running unnecessary risks with the future quality and sustainability of Europe’s communications networks. UNI stresses the need for the regulatory framework to encourage large-scale, universal, infrastructure investment.



UNI would be very concerned to see a piecemeal rollout of next generation access networks, with operators only investing in urban, high population density areas leaving the rest of the territory at risk of missing out on the digital dividend.



While the reduction in consumer prices is, in itself, a laudable achievement, the Commission should be wary of the potential high cost of low prices. Should the Commission’s proposals create an investment impasse for large-scale network investment in Europe this could have serious consequences for the provision of and access to new services.



Other comments from the workers’ representatives include:



European Electronic Communications Market Authority

UNI does not oppose the move toward harmonising regulatory practice. However, very many questions remain unanswered regarding the new authority’s role (proportionality; subsidiarity; role in national market analyses; additional value to the ERG’s current functioning etc.).



Spectrum

The key issue with regard to spectrum is not auctioning, selling or trading. It is usage. Operators must be encouraged and be able to make full use of spectrum as it is delivered.



Functional separation

Functional separation is a costly, burdensome and long-term regulatory remedy, which could turn out to be ill-suited to the dynamic nature of the electronic communications market in Europe.



Separation has the potential to drastically alter working conditions and employment opportunities for a large part of the operator’s workforce.



Furthermore, the spectre of divestiture of the separated units in the future, welcomed greedily by certain investors, has consequences that the Commission has failed to take into consideration.



Access and services

The Commission’s desire to separate access and services in the definitions of the universal service and users’ rights directive is both unwise and far from timely. While delaying the examination of the scope of universal service, the Commission is keen to see a separation between access and services, a decision that could predestine the 2008 review of the scope of universal service.



Stakeholder participation

Telecom employees and their representatives want to play an active role in the direction of their industry. Regulatory decisions have clear employment, and wider social, consequences.



Despite apparently attempting to open up the stakeholder process and proposing, in certain cases, changes to strengthen consultation mechanisms, the Commission has singularly failed to include the interests of workers or their representatives.



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For further information, please contact:



Neil Anderson

neil.Anderson@uniglobalunion.org

+41 22 365 21 47



or



Nina Johansson

nina.Johansson@uniglobalunion.org

+32 22 34 56 48