Collective agreement on the environment at Deutsche Telekom

On 21 August 1997, Deutsche Telekom AG and the German Posts and Telecommunications Trade Union concluded a collective agreement to promote the management of environmental issues at Deutsche Telekom.

On 21 August 1997, Deutsche Telekom AG and the German posts and telecommunication trade union, Deutsche Postgewerkschaft (DPG), concluded a collective agreement concerning the environment. The agreement, whose duration is unlimited, will come into force on 1 January 1998. It is the first such agreement for a large company in Germany.

An essential part of the collective agreement is the involvement of employees in all the company's environmental protection measures. The parties to the agreement also decided to make environmental protection a more important element of vocational training. On a regional level, six environmental committees will be formed with equal numbers of members from both sides. They will meet at regular intervals to discuss initiatives towards improving environmental protection within the company. Individual employees will have the right to complain to their superior if they have reason to suspect the danger of damage to the environment. Furthermore, Deutsche Telekom will appoint one central and 24 regional, full-time environment commissioners who will promote Deutsche Telekom's environmental programme. Their tasks will be to check that environmental protection regulations are being complied with, to provide information on questions regarding environmental protection in the company, and to elaborate proposals for new environmental targets.

According to Heinz Klinkhammer, member of Deutsche Telekom's board of management in charge of the personnel and legal affairs division, the intention of Deutsche Telekom is to further reinforce environmental awareness among its employees.Veronika Altmeyer and Günter Heidorn, both members of DPG's central executive committee, said the agreement pointed the way ahead.