Warning to mobile phone firm over pay

Mobile phone giant O2 faces a summer of discontent following the collapse of pay talks in Britain, union leaders warned today.

The Communication Workers’ Union is to consult its members over a pay offer it said was worth between 0% and 3% and warned of a strike ballot if the dispute was not resolved.

Deputy general secretary Jeannie Drake said: “O2’s current divisive and derisory offer represents one of the bleakest messages delivered to any group of workers in recent years.”

The union also accused the company of double standards by giving bigger pay rises to members of the board.

Ms Drake added: “It gives me no pleasure to have to say that their current behaviour, clawing money away from the workforce while lavishing new benefits on themselves, means they are knocking on the door of the rogues’ gallery of corporate fat cats who have done so much to shame big business."