Cellcom VPs are opposed in principle to Cellcom president and CEO Dr. Yitzhak Peterburg’s order that company executives take a polygraph examination, but do not dare to publicly oppose him. Peterburg wants to discover who leaked information to the press last week.
Peterburg himself was examined on Friday, and appointments for all company executives were made for this week. The company spokesperson declined to say what questions Peterburg was asked in his polygraph test, and what the results were.
Several Cellcom VPs have received job offers, and are considering them. Peterburg announced today that taking the test is a precondition for continuing to work at the company. In his statement to the press, Peterburg said that the company had an obligation to ensure that senior executives who were "damaging and sabotaging company activities would not continue in their posts at Cellcom".
Senior company sources said that Peterburg himself is damaging the company and undermining its business, by instituting a reign of terror and beginning an irreversible process of demoralization.
Cellcom said in response, “This internal process is designed to prevent harm to the company position and business activity. Peterburg’s decision was accepted, given the many leaks that have directly affected Cellcom. The shareholders and board of directors stand behind this decision, and support it.
”In Peterburg’s announcement to the company employees, he expressed his great confidence in the company employees and managers. He noted that this measure was designed to protect all those workers loyally performing their jobs with dedication, fully aware of the business confidentiality required by a company operating in a competitive market.”
Published by Globes [online] - www.globes.co.il - on February 9, 2003