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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:

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?

1. Continue to seek a fair and just resolution of this situation through discussion and negotiation?

2. Commence a public relations campaign to bring greater transparency to this situation?

3. Commence and seek partners to further expand a Boycott of imports from Sweden and Finland?

4. All of the above?

5. 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: