CWU Goes for BT Strike Ballot

Communication Workers Union delegates representing almost 60,000 staff at BT have voted unanimously to hold a strike ballot as the current standoff over pay continues.

An emergency motion heard at the CWU telecoms annual conference this morning (Wednesday) was unanimously voted for by hundreds of delegates. At the same time, BT published its annual report which shows senior executives at the company receiving millions of pounds in bonuses including a 1.2million bonus for chief executive Ian Livingstone. CWU has a rejected an offer of 2% from the company.

Andy Kerr, CWU deputy general secretary, said: "This is about fairness. We don’t mind senior executives getting bonuses, but we want all staff to share in the success of the company. Staff have borne the brunt of the cost savings and have delivered the profits but are being treated as a second-thought.

BT can afford a decent pay rise for staff this year, there’s no doubt about that. Their profits are extremely healthy and free cash flow is almost double the forecasts at £1.9billion. With a pay-freeze last year and inflation now running at 5.3% BT’s attitude to pay is insulting and the staff deserve more.

Strike action is clearly a last-resort. We’ve not had a national strike in BT since 1987 so this is not something we take lightly. We hope the company will return to negotiations and avoid the need for any strike action.”

The full text of the motion is:

E2 This conference is appalled by BT's failure through the 2010 pay review, to adequately reward the contribution made by CWU members to BT’s ongoing financial recovery. It further notes that BT’s annual results, announced on 13th May 2010, show that BT’s preferred measure of profit (EBITDA) has increased by 6% to £5.78bn, cash flow has increased by 162%, and its full-year dividend by 6%. It also notes that if met in full, the CWU’s 5% claim would only account for a fraction of BT’s recorded profit. 

While recognising that the CWU would prefer a negotiated settlement, BT appear to have closed the door on this by making an offer that results in a pay cut in real terms and which will have a detrimental impact on all future pension payments of current Newgrid grades.

This conference recognises that CWU members have played a major part in delivering BT’s ongoing financial recovery and the CWU now demands that our members share in that recovery

Should BT fail to make a revised pay offer that reflects the contribution made by CWU members by midday on 4th June 2010, the T&FSE will:

1.         Immediately serve formal legal notice to BT of the CWU’s intention to ballot all appropriate members for industrial action.
2.         Step-up the campaign for a Yes vote
3.         Plan a programme of action that is designed to have maximum impact on BT and the minimum possible impact on CWU members
4.         Call meetings at central locations in all regions of the country and ask branches to facilitate maximum attendance at those meetings
5.         Offer guidance to branches on activities that should be undertaken locally.

Source: CWU

Front Page