A complaint filed today with the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) describes how Deutsche Telekom has engaged in anti-union activity in the United States that violates the organization’s guidelines for multinational enterprises.

The complaint, filed by the Communications Workers of America (CWA), the German union ver.di and the global union federation UNI Global Union, details the union-busting activity of Deutsche Telekom’s wholly owned subsidiary T-Mobile USA, which “has engaged in a pattern of conduct designed to undermine and frustrate employees’ efforts to choose union representation freely and to deny employees their rights to collective bargaining.”

“T-Mobile USA management is reading right from the classic union-busting playbook,” said CWA President Larry Cohen.

They are using every tactic possible to delay the elections while at the same time trying to intimidate workers and make them fearful for their jobs if they vote in favor of a union.

AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka, in a letter to the U.S. State Department,  said the AFL-CIO “fully supports” the complaint and the effort by T-Mobile workers to exercise their right to join a union and bargain collectively.  Read the full complaint here. 

The unions are calling on the German government, which owns 30 percent of Deutsche Telekom, to ensure the company allows all workers to participate in union activities in a free and fair manner.

UNI General Secretary Philip Jennings said:

Deutsche Telekom has set a double standard for working conditions, where German workers have the right to union representation and collective bargaining but those in the U.S.… do not.

The OECD guidelines, to which both Germany and the United States are signatories, have set a single standard that all governments must promote with employers, including the right of workers at multinationals to form or join trade unions of their choice. The OECD provides a forum in which governments can work together to share experiences and seek solutions to common problems.

Deutsche Telekom’s corporate behavior, which is aimed at preventing  T-Mobile workers from joining a union has brought the company under global scrutiny. In September 2010 it was the subject of the Human Rights Watch report.

Unions around the world have launched a global campaign to promote the rights of T-Mobile workers and all Deutsche Telekom workers. Led by CWA, ver.di, the AFL-CIO, DGB of Germany, UNI Global Union and the International Trade Union Confederation, the campaign is delivering a strong message that we expect respect of labor rights from a company that has a proven track record of collective bargaining and social dialogue in its home country.

“Time and again, Deutsche Telekom has attracted negative attention by conducting an anti-union corporate policy against employees in their international subsidiaries,” said Lothar Schröder, a member of the ver.di board. “The company must be held accountable.”

If the proposed merger between AT&T and T-Mobile is approved, the T-Mobile’s 20,000 workers will have the right to join a union without intimidation because of a neutrality agreement between with AT&T and CWA.