Dear Colleague

 

The CWU met BT today to present our claim for a 5% increase in pay and pay related allowances.

 

The CWU negotiating team, led by Deputy General Secretary Jeannie Drake stressed:

 

·         BT’s performance continues to be strong with Group revenue up by 5% and profit before tax up by 7%

·         That strong performance is reflected in Executive pay and bonuses and must also be reflected in our members pay

·         Our members continue to work under increased pressure

·         It is our members contribution to transformation that is enabling change for BT.

 

BT responded by saying that they were “very disappointed at the level of the claim” and stated that it was 2.5 times the level of inflation. BT also stated:

 

·         The scale of the company’s challenge to remain competitive

·         They believe their pay rates are competitive when compared with other companies

·         There would be an increased cost on pensions

·         The ongoing cost of maintaining the Defined Benefits scheme

 

No offer was made at the meeting and BT agreed to respond with an offer at the next meeting scheduled for 21^st February.

 

Grace Mitchell

Assistant Secretary