WORKERS in Birchwood have gone on strike against what they're calling a 'pay cut' during a cost of living crisis.
Those on strike are members of the CWU (Communication Workers Union), including call centre workers - the likes of which have never taken industrial action before.
One of the reasons that the workers are on strike is because they have received a below-inflation pay increase (a pay cut, in real terms) despite BT's CEO receiving a pay rise of more than 30 per cent this year.
Up and on my way to meet CWU members on the picket lines today. BT and Openreach members taking strike action for the first time in 35 years.
— Dave Ward (@DaveWardGS) July 29, 2022
This will change the union and our collective strength for the better.
Proud of our reps and members.
Tracy Buckley has worked for BT for nearly four decades: "This isn't about workers being greedy, or being awkward - just pay us enough to feed our family, pay us enough to heat our homes."
Tracy works at the site in Birchwood, and is a union rep for the CWU: "I've worked for BT for 36 years, I've invested my entire working life in them; I deserve to be treated better."
As a heavily-unionised company, BT has always taken proposed pay increases to the unions to see if the proposals are acceptable to workers - this time, the company did not do this.
The company has imposed a blanket £1,500 boost in pay for all workers in the company, without consulting workers.
Tracy said: "For the lowest-paid, this could be a five or six per cent increase, for the higher earners it could be two or three per cent - either way, it's below inflation."
They didn’t offer. They imposed. https://t.co/rWPjH9WiGK
— The CWU (@CWUnews) July 29, 2022
Inflation currently stands at around nine per cent and is projected to rise to nearly 11 per cent.
Tracy added: "Workers have nowhere else to go.
"We just want them to come back to the negotiating table."
A BT spokesperson said: "While we're disappointed that the CWU has decided to take industrial action, we respect the decision by their members to take industrial action.
"We have a responsibility to all of our colleagues, including the many thousands who won't be taking part in industrial action, and to our customers."
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