Peter Scherrer an Günter Verheugen

Günter Verheugen

Member of the European Commission

Rue de la Loi 200

.1049 Brussels

Dear Mr Verheugen,

We are writing to you to express our concerns about the situation in Alcatel Lucent.

Following the merger between Alcatel and Lucent which was completed on 1st December 2006 the new management announced a restructuring plan which would translate into the loss of 4 500 jobs in Europe. Job reductions concern R&D; and strategic lines of work either within the company or within supplier companies. For the workers’ representatives this plan confirms the increasing policy towards relocating know-how to low-cost countries (China/India/Russia). It is also a worrying signal for highly-qualified employment in Europe.

Following the high mobilisation of workers in various EU countries affected by the plan, a European action day was organized by the EMF on 15th March calling for an increased effort with regard to research and innovation rather than the destruction of highly qualified jobs.

The case of Alcatel Lucent is not isolated. With the merger of their fixed and mobile network technology activities, Nokia and Siemens have announced that 6000 to 9000 jobs will be shed in the next four years as a result of synergies. The current situation regarding the telecommunication industry in Europe sparks concerns among workers and their representatives. Recent trends suggest that job reductions in ICT companies will mainly translate in reduction of the R&D; workforce in Europe to the benefit of Asia and other low-cost economies. The future of R&D; in high added-value and knowledge-based production is at stake. In the EMF view measures need to be taken urgently to maintain and develop competence and jobs in the ICT sector which is vital for the development of the entire European industry. An offensive industrial policy is required via framework programmes in order to give impetus to the telecommunications technology industries which have to face competition from Asian and American technology providers that are largely benefiting from voluntarist State policies.

Against this background I would ask you to agree to meeting with trade union representatives of the Alcatel Lucent group to discuss the future of the ICT sector in Europe.

I look forward to hearing from you and meeting with you shortly.

Yours sincerely,

With kind regards,

Peter Scherrer EMF General Secretary

• Copy: Vladimir Spidla, member of the European Commission