BT pay deal

Deal reached on BT pay of 2.8% plus £200

9th May 2013

Following difficult and protracted negotiations, the CWU has secured a final pay offer from BT of 2.8% plus a pensionable£200 lump sum. The offer will be put to members in a ballot and if accepted will be paid in June salaries.
The one-year pay deal covers the period April 2013 to April 2014. The 2.8% increase on base pay will be backdated to April 1 2013 for all Team Members who are NewGRID grades and Loyalty Advisor agents. This will flow through to all allowances automatically uplifted in line with the NewGRID agreement.
An additional £200 lump sum payment has been secured which, although unconsolidated, will be treated as pensionable and if accepted by members will also be paid in June 2013. The total brings the cash-equivalent payment to above the current rate of inflation.

Andy Kerr, CWU deputy general secretary, has led the pay negotiations and explains: "It's been a difficult set of negotiations and it's clear to the team that this is the best offer we can secure for members through negotiation. We've pushed the company hard and have secured significant improvements on the original pay offer. We're now happy to recommend the offer as the impact will be that all members will receive in cash terms an increase that is above the current rate of inflation and above average pay settlements elsewhere.
"During negotiations, BT stated their wish to introduce a scheme for future years which should enable all employees to share more in the company's success and which would be linked to the company's performance. Transparent and public measures of the company's success such as free cash flow and customer service are likely to be used and the CWU has agreed to enter into discussions with BT on a 'without prejudice' basis, about how such a scheme could operate. However, we have secured assurances from BT that there is no intention to replace the annual pay review."
The CWU's Telecoms and Financial Services Executive is recommending the pay offer to members, set against the backdrop of difficult pay talks, very low economic growth and average pay settlements elsewhere of 2.5%.
The offer will be put to all affected members in a consultative ballot that will run until the beginning of June and, if accepted, will be implemented in the June 2013 payroll and backdated to 1^st April 2013.
Details of the ballot will be published as soon as they are finalised.

Please send us your views and questions to BTpay@cwu.org and also inform your local branch of your views.
For more information visit BT Pay 2013