‘We want the union’, say Virgin Media members
8th March 2013
Members across Virgin Media's Access division have
delivered the starkest possible message that they want union
recognition back, with 98 per cent voting to pursue statutory
recognition.
In the clearest signal yet of workforce anger at the
company's arbitrary and unprovoked move to derecognise all
trade unions at the company - of which the CWU is by far the
largest - members have voted by an overwhelming margin to commit
the CWU to support them in their campaign to reinstate union
negotiating rights.
Further challenging the already dubious result of Virgin
Media's self-proclaimed pre-Christmas staff
'referendum', in which a wafer-thin majority allegedly
voted to deny themselves the right to be represented by a trade
union, the result of the union's own consultative ballot
indicates mounting workforce dismay at Virgin Media's
anti-union stance.
With more than three quarters of CWU members in the Access
Division registering a vote, an unprecedented 98 per cent of
members decided that they wanted the union to assist them in the
pursuit of recognition using the statutory recognition process.
CWU national official for Virgin Media, John
East, said: "Members that we balloted have made it
abundantly clear that they want the CWU to be recognised by their
employer. Given the clarity of this pro-recognition ballot result,
the CWU will work with our Virgin members on how best to set about
achieving what members clearly want.
"We are expecting the company to place every obstacle in
the way of members wanting recognition. They will use every
conceivable tactic to delay both our ability to enter the formal
CAC process, and then use the CAC timetable to string matters out,
all the time using union busting tactics within the workplace to
try to turn members and non-members alike against the union.
Nevertheless, along with our branches, our activists and our
members, this is a campaign that we can win. 2013 should be an
interesting year in Virgin Media."
Do you work for Virgin Media? Join CWU today and help strengthen the case for union recognition. Simply give us a call on freephone 0800 731 7434 or email joinunion@cwu.org.
