BT staff want action over 'outrageous' pay offer

BT workers are pressing their union to hold a ballot for industrial action because of lack of progress over a pay dispute, it emerged today.

Talks between the telecoms giant and the Communication Workers Union will be held next month in a bid to avert a dispute over the London Weighting Allowance.

Around 20,000 union members in London are pushing for a rise in the allowance, which is paid to employees to compensate for the high cost of working in the capital.

The union wants the inner London allowance raised from £2,600 (€3,772) to £4,000 (€5,804) and the outer London rate increased from £1,128 (€1,636) to £2,400 (€3,482) and have been “outraged” at the offer of a £100 increase.

A number of lunchtime protests have been held over the past two months, but deputy general secretary Jeannie Drake warned: “We may have to push our campaign into a different gear.”

Ms Drake also voiced concern over a letter from BT asking the union to consider not submitting a pay claim this year because of the need to reduce operating costs.

BT employee relations director Joe McDavid wrote: “I acknowledge that what I am asking is unprecedented but I believe the business situation merits it.”

Ms Drake wrote back that it would be “inconceivable” that a pay freeze would be acceptable.

She told PA News: “The letter was hardly worth the effort of sending. I am confident that, one way or another, BT will recover from this outbreak of irrational miserliness and come up with a sensible proposal for rewarding its loyal and efficient staff.”

Mr McDavid said factors which resulted in a 6% reduction in traditional revenues in the second quarter would “continue to bite”.