BT union negotiations sour
Strike gets closer
Ensure Ease of Recovery with Asigra’s Agentless Software
BT workers will be sent strike ballot papers next Friday after five hours of talks with union leaders broke down yesterday.
The Communication Workers Union (CWU), which represents about 55,000 staff, accused the firm of "complete contempt" for staff after it refused to improve on a two per cent pay rise for this year.
"Things have undoubtedly got worse," said CWU deputy general secretary Andy Kerr.
He said BT had threatened staff with a pay freeze if they take industrial action. If a strike were to go ahead it would be the first at the firm in more than 20 years.
The union's position remains that the two per cent offer is unreasonable in light of inflation running at more than five per cent. Rises of up to six per cent plus large bonuses for senior management have added to anger.
"We want a fair and affordable rise and we will not stop until BT understands this," said Kerr.
BT made an improved offer on Monday that would set next year's pay rise at three per cent, but while it said it is open to a two-year deal, the CWU insisted two per cent this year is unacceptable. ®
COMMENTS
Re: re: The other poster
It doesn't. I doubt you'll find any other company offers it either. That said, any firm won't keep thier staff very long if they refuse cost of living pay rises year after year. Erosion of pay in real terms pisses people off.
Not all management are management
As a BT staff member, I am bemused by the whole CWU thing. What the CWU constantly fail to point out is that just because someone is on a staff grade, doesn't necessarily mean they are a manager. If someone on a staff grade has an outstanding review and/or is in the bottom end of their grade's salary range then yes, they could clear a 5% pay rise. If, however, they're crap and/or at the top of their grade's salary range, they'll get nowt.
The CWU staff don't "do" individual reviews so don't get graduated rises, preferring to lump the good, the bad and the ugly all together. They're then playing hard done by because they're offered the average for all. The answer's simple. Go for individual reviews. Their talented members will then get better pay rises and they can just waste their breath trying to defend the monkeys.
It's about time the CWU joined the real world and left the Post Office Telephones mentality behind.
Title
"Rises of up to six per cent plus large bonuses for senior management have added to anger."
Just shows how in tune with their employees the BT management really are.
IT infrastructure monitoring strategies
What you need to know about cloud backup
Agentless Backup is Not a Myth
Customer Success Testimonial: Recovery is Everything
Data control in the cloud
