Union rejects latest BT pay offer, calls for ballot on industrial action

The Communication Workers Union is lining up an industrial action ballot for members working at BT after rejecting the telecom company's offer of a flat rate £1,500 pay rise for 58,000 frontline workers. Just last week, Britain's largest broadband and phone provider put a £1,200 increase on the table for staff, however this …

[Steve Button]

Ahhhh, Unions.

They push up wages by threatening strike action to the point where it's far more competitive to go elsewhere (India) for the workers.

And let's face it when you are ALL working from home, you aren't exactly offering that in-person benefit. The only benefit you are offering is being in the same time zone. You have to remain competitive in a global economy.

[TTY04]

Re: Ahhhh, Unions.

They aren't all working from home. What about field engineers?

[Warm Braw]

Re: Ahhhh, Unions.

You have to remain competitive in a global economy

I think a company that has a near monopoly on the provision of connections to domestic premises will not welcome careless use of that "c" word.

[Dave@Home]

Aye, lets race to the bottom, that'll save us

(you'll still get shafted if you don't stand up to the buggers)

[VoiceOfTruth]

Inflation

-> Inflation has risen exponentially

We also have the hidden inflation. Has anyone else noticed how much chocolate bars have shrunk yet the price is the same (or a bit higher)? It's not for our health.

[Snowy]

Re: Inflation

Been going on for years and not just in chocolate, it is called shrinkflation.

<quote>In economics, shrinkflation, also known as the grocery shrink ray, deflation or package downsizing, is the process of items shrinking in size or quantity, or even sometimes reformulating or reducing quality, while their prices remain the same or increase. The word is a portmanteau of the words shrink and inflation.<quote>

[John Brown (no body)]

Re: Inflation

I have only one word to add: WAGONWHEEL!!

[Anonymous Coward]

As a union member

for about 30 years before I started my own business, I remember when they balloted their members to see whether they thought the yearly increase in union subs was acceptable. Same thing with the increase in union officials wages. Oh hang on... did they fuck. They just put subs and their wages up as they pleased.

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: As a union member

Spoken like a true tory. I bet you're 'ex-forces' too, right?

SMH.

[Anonymous Coward]

Make or break

This is a big moment for the union and BT.

If BT get away with shafting us this time, then it will create a perfect storm where the unions lose a lot of members (and therefore power) while at the same time BT will be emboldened and think they can pay us fuck all in future knowing they'll get away with it.

I reckon BT are aware of how important this is, I'm not sure the CWU are. They delete comments criticising them and generally seem a bit out of their depth. They led us up the garden path with the #CountMeIn campaign then squandered all that momentum. A lot of members are already disillusioned.

The future is not bright.