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Strikers have formed a picket line outside Whitleigh Telephone Engineering Centre today. BT and Openreach workers are on strike today in a dispute over pay and Plymouth people have been occupying a picket line since 7.30am.
They have been “solidly supported” at their picket line of over 30 people with food and drinks being donated to them. Further support has come from RMT rail workers and the Royal Mail.
Ryan John Aldred, vice chair of the trade council in Plymouth, has said that the Plymouth workers have still ensured that lines are running for emergency services. He added that they “want to keep everything safe, secure and running but they just want their share”.
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Ryan said: “We got workers here that have been offered 3.7% pay rises but when bills are going up 10%, it’s effectively a pay cut that they’re receiving.”
He added: “When you’ve got workers that have been out throughout the pandemic ensuring that the lines are still running, even today while they’re on strike, they agreed a small core work force that will keep the lines running to make sure the emergency services can run. They want to keep everything safe, secure and running but they just want their share.”
Speaking of the Plymouth picket line today, Ryan said: “It’s been solidly supported.”
“We’ve had RMT rail workers that have come here today to show their support having just been on strike themselves. We’ve had a number of different unions come along, UCU. We’re here to show that their struggle is ours as well.”
“This is affecting everyone, everyone is feeling the pinch because everything is going up except our pay”.
The Communication Workers Union (CWU) said the strike will be the first national telecoms strike since 1987 and the biggest ever among call centre workers.
Another strike will be held on Monday after union members voted in favour of industrial action in protest at a £1,500 pay rise. BT revealed its first sales growth for five years on Thursday as the telecoms giant benefited from price increases for customers earlier this year.
The group said it was also boosted by more people signing up for fibre-optic broadband and strong trading in its Openreach network business. BT told shareholders that revenues increased by 1% to £5.1 billion for the three months to June 30.
Yesterday (Thursday), CWU general secretary Dave Ward said: “BT Group are now gaslighting our members. Announcing hundreds of millions of pounds in profit on the eve of the first national strike since 1987 smacks of arrogance and complete contempt for frontline workers.
“BT workers have hundreds of picket lines arranged across the UK tomorrow, and will support the CWU in delivering mass strike action. This dispute sits squarely at the feet of chief executive Philip Jansen. He represents everything that needs to change about big business in Britain.”
A BT Group spokesperson said: “At the start of this year, we were in exhaustive discussions with the CWU that lasted for two months, trying hard to reach an agreement on pay. When it became clear that we were not going to reach an accord, we took the decision to go ahead with awarding our team member and frontline colleagues the highest pay award in more than 20 years, effective April 1.
“We have confirmed to the CWU that we won’t be reopening the 2022 pay review, having already made the best award we could. We’re balancing the complex and competing demands of our stakeholders and that includes making once-in-a-generation investments to upgrade the country’s broadband and mobile networks, vital for the UK economy and for BT Group’s future – including our people.
“While we respect the choice of our colleagues who are CWU members to strike, we will work to minimise any disruption and keep our customers and the country connected. We have tried and tested processes for large-scale colleague absences to minimise any disruption for our customers and these were proved during the pandemic.”
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