The German labor union ver.di on Thursday backed off a tentative agreement with Deutsche Telekom AG over the company's plans to cut thousands of jobs through 2008. Bonn-based Deutsche Telekom said in November that it planned to cut 32,000 jobs. Under the terms of Deutsche Telekom's collective bargaining agreement with its unions, no cuts can be made without the approval of the labor groups.
See "Union Backs Off Deutsche Telekom Deal", Associated Press, The New York Times, February 8, 2006