BT union announces 48-hour strike action in protest over pay

The union representing upset BT workers has served notice on the one-time UK state owned telco that tens of thousands of engineers and call center operators will down tools for two more days of strikes this month. In a message to members - seen by The Reg - the Communication Workers Union says it intends to “take further …

[CB__]

I'm not sure whether anyone will actually notice...

[Sin2x]

They'll ramp up if they don't achieve their intended goals, don't worry. This is but a morsel of things to come later this year across all industries in the UK -- brace for the impact.

[First Light]

Colleagues?

Our "colleagues" earning 1% of the CEO's salary. What is their definition of a colleague?

The word should be "peon."

[Alumoi]

Re: Colleagues?

Or, in modern parlance, employee.

[elsergiovolador]

Re: Colleagues?

Going for a pint with millionaire CEOs is always amusing, just pretend you can relate to their problems and watch how they quickly change subject if you start talking about yours.

Then after a couple of pints their guilt mode switches in and they want to hear everything.

"Oh man I didn't know it is so bad!"

Just never mention anything about pay rise etc or how the company does not pay enough. It's an instant downer, ideally don't talk about the work at all in such setting.

It's acceptable to say "yeah I keep saving / investing man, hopefully one day I'll be like you".

[sabroni]

Re: hopefully one day I'll be like you

And right there is the problem.

As long as the majority believe there's a chance that they could, one day, be the person with all the the wealth they're happy to put up with how unfair this for them now.

Turkey's voting for xmas because it's such a good time for the turkey business.

[ChoHag]

Re: Colleagues?

> Just never mention anything about pay rise etc or how the company does not pay enough. It's an instant downer, ideally don't talk about the work at all in such setting.

Why? Whom does it embarrass?

[Tom66]

Re: Colleagues?

Take his £3.2m package and divide it between 26k workers - they each get £120

Far better to focus on the £1.3bn profits, that would (if shared equally) give every employee a £50k dividend. Even 10% of that would take the sting off inflation for many.

[crayon]

Re: Colleagues?

Focus on: why does the fatcat gets double digit percentage pay rise and the actual workers get single digit?

[Tom66]

Re: Colleagues?

Probably because the fatcat will leave if he doesn't get a raise like that.

Individual workers can leave too, but are in less demand, so can't negotiate ridiculous wages.

[Danny 2]

The U word

I grew up walking my dog to picket lines, just because. I started work in era and a place where simply saying the U word was instant dismissal. I worked in one factory where I was nicknamed "International Hero of the People", sarcastically of course, simply for standing up for my rights - not even other peoples rights.

It's rarely just about money, it's mostly about respect, something that British management have failed to learn. I don't have a dog now, can't really walk now, but I wish these workers well. The gross level of inequality and poverty is not just unfair and unjust, it's unacceptable and unsustainable.

[wolfetone]

Re: The U word

Management in Britain like to think themselves as the grandee industrialists of the Victorian era, where the benefit for work was the work itself. Otherwise it's off to the workhouses with you and your family.

Solidarity, as always, to those who are going on strike.