STOCKHOLM, Sweden, April 2, 2003 (PRIMEZONE) -- As a step towards ensuring TeliaSonera's (LSE:TLSNq) (Other OTC:TLSNF) competitiveness and establishing a cost level that enables TeliaSonera Sweden to offer the market value-for-money products and services, management of TeliaSonera Sweden have initiated discussions with the personnel organisations with respect to redundancies.
Discussion is under way, and negotiations will take place this spring.
Redundancies relate to decisions in three areas:
- A new customer-oriented organisation with a simplified legal structure is being set up in the Swedish operation. - As of 1 January 2003, the TeliaSonera Group has one Corporate Head Quarter. - As of 1 April 2003, Group competence centres for product and development has been introduced. These centres will take overall responsibility in all of the markets as regards products and services of strategic importance to the Group.
This process is part of the efforts to realize synergies and make stand- alone improvements at TeliaSonera Sweden.
In the various phases of implementing these decisions, redundancies will occur inasmuch as the entire organization in Sweden will be affected over the long term.
The first phase will affect staff functions, administration and development resources and the first measure will be to reduce the number of external consultants and personnel under contract. Nevertheless, TeliaSonera's own personnel will also be affected. It is the intention to be ready with the first phase before summer, and to arrive at an overview and a developed plan for the process by that time.
In collaboration with the personnel organizations, the intention is to utilise the good experiences from earlier redundancy projects, and it is intended to carry out the process with respect for everyone involved. The already established Telia Resource & Adjustment Programme will be an important factor in facilitating for the employees who are affected.
"We have to secure our competitiveness and our capability to offer our customers value-for-money products," said Marie Ehrling, President of TeliaSonera Sweden. "Thus it is important that we take the consequences of the changes that we have decided to implement."
For further information journalists can contact: Marie Ehrling, President TeliaSonera Sweden phone +46 8 713 58 30
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