Tension at TelEm

Dear Editor,

The SMCU wants to point out that TelEm is still without a CEO after the parliament election of September 26.  The prime minister mentioned right before the election that three new members would be added to the board in six weeks after the election and right after the CEO would be appointed.

We are now in the month of December, nine weeks after election and the three board members that passed the screening are still not appointed to allow the one board member to resign from his position and become CEO as the prime minister planned.

In the meantime TelEm is operating without a CEO, and the employees are now tired of the situation because there is no one to hold ultimate responsible for the bad decisions that are being made in the company.

The situation in TelEm is so tense that department of planning and engineering decided that they no longer want to work under the leadership of Eldert Louisa who is the technical director.

This group of employees sent a letter to the SMCU demanding an urgent meeting with CFO Helma Etnel and the CTO Eldert Louisa. The meeting was held on November 23 and the group of engineers and planners clearly stated that they no longer want to work under the micro, and disrespectful managing style of the CTO.

Mrs. Etnel said on many occasions that she is not the boss over the CTO or the CCO and for that reason she cannot make any decision to have the CTO removed from his function.

The meeting was going in circles and the employees decided to leave; they wrote a letter requesting a meeting with all the members of the board. The letter was delivered the same day November 23; management had to meet the board in the evening.

The chairman of the board refused to take the letter because he felt it is an operational matter. Maybe the chairman forgot that TelEm does not have a CEO to make ultimate decisions and because of that the board becomes the one responsible to handle any and all complaints about the directors.

The SMCU then sent a mail to all board members with the letter attached. Management confirmed receiving the letter November 28; the board was also informed about the meeting that was held earlier in the day on November 23.

On November 29, SMCU sent a mail to Prime Minister William Marlin requesting a meeting to see if he in his capacity he could bring some clarity to the situation at hand.

The SMCU is saying again that because the company does not have leadership there is no one to hold ultimate responsible for the actions of the directors in TelEm. The board of directors that is responsible for the company’s wellbeing does not want to pick up its responsibilities.

Ludson Evers,
President SMCU