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WHAT WOULD YOU DO?
We gave our Nordic partners gains of EUR
1.16 billion. They gave us worthless securities to seize our
small share of those gains. Sweden and Finland support
ongoing seizures of our assets. |
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BACKGROUND —
Our trusted Nordic employer, Sonera, seized EUR 34.8
million we earned in the United States. Each year TeliaSonera
keeps the earnings on our seized assets. Last year it seized EUR
13.5 million (USD 19.0)
earned on our growing assets. In total TeliaSonera now holds EUR 89.8
million (USD126.6) it did not
legitimately earn.
Sonera hired us to create opportunities and
value in the United States. We quickly acquired stakes in three
US wireless operators at good prices. Our investments made
possible consolidation of those three operators into a
nationwide wireless network. Then T-Mobile acquired all three
operators. Sonera realized EUR 1.16 billion from the sale of
these investments.
Meanwhile Sonera’s leaders unreasonably delayed new incentive
schemes. Then Sonera granted our team participation in a
worthless incentive scheme. We objected. Sonera terminated us.
And then Sonera granted our colleagues at three other new
venture business units retroactively priced incentive schemes.
And then Sonera suffered massive losses from German
Telecom licenses and the three other
new venture subsidiaries. Later Finland-based Sonera and Sweden
based Telia merged to form TeliaSonera.
Please visit
DOCUMENTS, Sonera
2000-2001 Internet Book for a discussion of Sonera’s
many leadership and other challenges.
ACCOUNTABILITY
— TeliaSonera’s wrongful taking of our earnings and
assets breaks virtually all relevant laws, rules, regulations,
agreements and guidelines. For example, the Friendship, Commerce
and Consular Rights Treaty between Finland and the United States
ratified in 1934 provides in relevant part:
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“In no case shall [nationals of
Finland and the United States] be accorded less
favorable treatment in respect of [commercial]
matters than nationals of the most favored nation.”
“The nationals of [Finland and the United States]
shall receive within the territory of the other,
upon submitting to conditions imposed upon its
nationals, the most constant protection and security
for their persons and property, and shall enjoy in
this respect that degree of protection that is
required by international law. Their property shall
not be taken without due process of law and without
payment of just compensation.” |
TeliaSonera’s ongoing seizure of our earnings
and assets also violates its Shared Values and
Code of Ethics.
Please visit
WALKING THE TALK for additional
information concerning relevant laws, rules, regulations,
agreements and guidelines.
FAIRNESS & JUSTICE — There is no
question of unjust enrichment. Our team added great value, not
losses. We earned our incentive pay many times over. As agreed,
we earned a small share of the value we added not some future
project. Yet Sweden and Finland support TeliaSonera’s seizure of
our small share of that great value.
We delivered great gains for all of our fellow stakeholders.
Those gains are equal to the value added by more than 22,000
Fins working for an entire year. Sweden and Finland will
ultimately use their share of those gains to provide education,
health care, retirement and other benefits to their citizens.
We also earned the long-term retirement, medical, and other
benefits represented by our small stake in a great success. Now
we are working hard to secure those benefits for our families.
We seek respect for our contributions and fairness and justice
for our families.
Surely whatever right our Nordic partners may claim to switch us
from our promised small stake in a great success to a stake in a
worthless incentive scheme is neutered by the provisions and
protections contained in the agreements and commitments referred
to above.
WHAT WOULD YOU DO?
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Continue to seek a fair and just
resolution of this situation through discussion and
negotiation?
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Commence a public relations campaign to
bring greater transparency to this situation?
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Commence and seek partners to further
expand a Boycott of imports from Sweden and Finland?
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All of the above?
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Something else?
ACT NOW — It is long past time for
TeliaSonera to disgorge its ill-gotten assets. And it is long
past time for Sweden and Finland to step up to all of their
obligations. Without these corrective actions, we see no reason
to trust or trade with countries that assert local policies to
seize assets fairly earned in the US and owned by US citizens.
Check out the business situation summarized
in THE RIGHT
THING,
WALKING THE TALK, and
DOCUMENTS,
Complete our
ETHICS SURVEY. Click on
CONTACT US
to tell us about problems you have had with Nordic companies and
Governments. And remember:
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