BT pay campaign

BT Pay Campaign


4th June 2010

Dear Colleague,
  The CWU’s annual conference last week carried a motion stating that if BT do not revise their final pay offer by noon on 4th June, the CWU will initiate a ballot for industrial action.
  That deadline has now passed and we have received no revised offer from the company. We are therefore left with no alternative than to proceed with an industrial action ballot of BT members.
  The union will serve BT with a formal notice of our intention to ballot within a matter of days, once we are absolutely certain that we have met all the various legal requirements of running a ballot.
  Once we have served notice to the company, the law says we must then wait seven days before we can launch the ballot.
  The union does not enter into industrial action lightly and this is the first time in more than 20 years that we have faced a dispute situation with BT over pay.
  This year the company is taking a particularly intransigent approach which is unwarranted given its strong performance. It is vital we stand up and resist BT’s attempts to cut your pay in real terms at a time when you have been central to delivering the targets that have brought generous pay rises and bonus payments for executive directors.
  Yesterday the CWU held a national forum of CWU branch officers, where the message came through loud and clear that members right across the country are angry about the blatant double standards shown by BT over pay this year.
  We recognise these are worrying times for members and we will be issuing some information and guidance in the coming days to address your concerns. Please also stay in close contact with your local CWU branch for advice, and read the Q&As we have created on some of the more frequently asked questions, available from the BT pay campaign page on the CWU’s website.
  We will be holding a series of meetings in major locations across the country shortly, and you will find details of these from your local branch. I would strongly urge you to attend a meeting near you to hear more about the union’s approach and what the ballot and industrial action will involve.
  It is essential that we win this ballot with a big turnout and a big majority to demonstrate to BT the strength of feeling amongst their employees on pay this year. If we fail, it will be extremely difficult to secure fair pay awards in future years, and we can expect BT to take it as an invitation to undermine your terms and conditions in other areas.
  Thank you for all your support and feedback, and please continue to communicate and engage with us as we take the campaign forward over the coming days and weeks.
  Most importantly, please vote in the forthcoming ballot, and please vote YES for industrial action as recommended by your CWU Executive.

Yours sincerely,

Andy Kerr
Deputy General Secretary (T&FS)