Cable / Telecom News

Aliant owes customers millions, says union



OTTAWA – Declining service at Aliant means that the phone company should be paying its customers millions of dollars in rebates, says the head of the telephone workers’ union in Atlantic Canada.

"Ever since the merger of the four provincial telephone companies (NBTel, IslandTel, NewTel and MTT) into Aliant, we have noticed a significant decline in customer service, particularly non business customers," said Ervan Cronk of the Communications, Energy and Paperworkers Union of Canada in a press release today.

Customers who can prove they’ve been served poorly can make an application to the CRTC for service rebates.

"Our members would be the first to tell you that we are not providing the same quality service as was provided prior to the merger. Customers are not happy about this and neither are we. But that’s what you get when the business focus changes from "service" to "synergies".

"We want subscribers to know that there is a way for them to get satisfaction. The federal regulator – the CRTC – has the power to order Aliant to rebate money back to customers who have suffered from poor service. Unhappy customers should contact the CRTC at 1 877-249-2782 (no charge) or by e-mail at info@crtc.gc.ca, and insist on their rebate for poor service", Cronk added in the release.

According to Union research, Aliant has failed to meet over half of its CRTC imposed Quality of Service obligations for more than a year. The agency, by law, has the authority to order a rebate under such circumstances of up to 5% of a telephone company’s annual local service revenues. The CEP estimates the potential rebate across the Atlantic provinces would amount to several million dollars.

Since the merger of the original four telephone companies in 2002, Aliant has closed operator service operations in Nova Scotia, Newfoundland and PEI; centralized significant parts of its other operations; downsized its workforce by several hundred employees; and, transferred a major part of its network surveillance operations and buildings real estate management to its parent company – Bell Canada, says the union.

"With these kinds of cutbacks, it is inevitable that service is going to suffer," Cronk continued. "Aliant is trying to convince the CRTC that our strike in 2004 accounts for the poor service but that is just not so. Service to customers began to decline even as the merger was being planned. And it continues to this day."

"Besides… Aliant management was as responsible as anyone for causing the strike and they should not be rewarded by not being forced to pay subscribers the rebates they are entitled to. The CRTC should act now and order Aliant to pay the rebates. Customers should contact both Aliant and the CRTC and tell them to live up to their service obligations."