Innovation, knowledge and quality, as well as growth, employment and social responsibility, should be the guidelines for the corporate policy of Nokia as well as in other companies in the face of the challenges on a global market for the information and communication technology. Anticipation of industrial changes and its consequences for the employees has to be done in permanent dialogue between management and trade unions and workers representatives. Plant closures, mass redundancies and a one-sighted shareholder value orientation will not contribute to remaining success, and cost-cutting at any price will damage Nokia’s public image and destroy its innovative manufacturing and technological
capacity. The trade union leaders reject any attempt by Nokia to threaten the workers in different manufacturing plants and to play one off against the other. It is unacceptable for Nokia top management announce plant closures and mass redundancies without a satisfactory prior information, consultation and negotiation procedure. That Nokia management feels it can behave in this way obviously seems to be an attack on the basic rules of the European social model. Nokia has to follow the basic rules of responsible co-operation in order to manage the company in a socially-responsible and economically successful manner. The above mentioned Finnish trade unions, IG Metall and the EMF, together with all the EMF unions with membership in Nokia Europe, are prepared to negotiate an agreement which takes care of the basic interests of the workers and the need to maintain competitiveness on the European and worldwide market.
There will be no successful restructuring and stabilisation of competitiveness without a responsible information, consultation and negotiation process.

Our basic demands therefore are:
• Fair information, consultation and negotiation of a restructuring framework at European level, followed by national agreements in accordance with the respective institutions and traditions.
• No interference with collective bargaining agreements and total exclusion of any kind of social and tax dumping.
• A future for the Nokia Bochum workers.
The EMF member organisations including the mentioned Finnish trade unions and the IG Metall are committed to and prepared for all kinds of cross-border activities with a view to informing and consulting the workers about the ongoing restructuring process.
This industrial action will evidently be prepared according to national law and practice.
Restructuring cases like in Bochum show the urgent need for a revision of the European Works Council directive. It shows also the need for the involvement of all stakeholders (politics, state administration and trade unions) at an early stage.
The Nokia Bochum case is seen as one more example of big multinational companies trying to play off workers and unions across borders. There is only one answer from the metalworkers’ unions in a European view: unity of the unions and the workers across borders.

Helsinki, 13.2.2008
Signed:
Peter Scherrer, General Secretary
European Metalworkers’ Federation

Heikki Kauppi, Secretary General
The Finnish Association of Graduate Engineers TEK

Pertti Porokari, President
Union of Professional Engineers in Finland UIL

Antti Rinne, President
Union of Salaried Employees TU

Erkki Vuorenmaa, President
Metalli Metalworkers’ Union

Berthold Huber, President
IG Metall

Detlef Wetzel, Vice - President
IG Metall

Press 8/2008

For further information please contact:
Editor, Peter Scherrer, EMF General Secretary