BT Technology Members – your working future is at stake – can we count you in?

Issue No. 160 2020 | 5th August 2020

BT Technology Members – your working future is at stake – can we count you in?

At a time of economic uncertainty and worry, the CWU is saddened to tell you that BT Group is ploughing ahead with a radical reorganisation of its business and today they are announcing even more redundancies in Technology. On top of the announcement on 22nd July that put 157 Team members at risk of redundancy in Technology a further 45 Team members are in scope with 29 roles to cease, totalling 186 job losses.

This is an initial phased redundancy programme that is triggered by automation and consolidation under Technology’s far reaching transformation plans. They are doing this to protect profit, not their loyal, hardworking members.

There will be reductions of roles across:

ISDN Featureline
ISDN 30
Featurenet
CCNG Consultancy
CSL Capacity planning

Technology is not providing your Union with any meaningful consultation as they intend to stick to the statutory minimum for consultation of 45 days.

This is a fundamental shift in the way BT are negotiating with the CWU. Your employer is intent on a redundancy selection criterion, that won’t even allow for volunteers to put themselves forward for voluntary leaver packages. We’ve asked that they avoid compulsory redundancy by agreeing to:

o extending the areas/pools for a voluntary redundancy exercise
o a preference exercise prior to any selection e.g. allowing individuals in a pool to

opt for voluntary redundancy prior to any selection exercise

The CWU have insisted that the ‘Status Quo Ante’ remains, nevertheless Technology are choosing to plough ahead. This puts the Technology National Team in a potential trade dispute situation going forward.

The CWU launched the CWU’s Count Me In campaign, because we need every member in BT Group to stand firm collectively against the current trajectory the company are heading. We asked you to tell us that we can ‘count on you’ to be part of an active community, we hope you signed up? You can find more about the campaign here. You can also find a web story here.

More importantly for now though, we need to know if you have received a letter stating that you are at risk. If you have, your branch needs to assist you in your first individual consultation meeting. Please email countmein@cwu.org if you have received a letter and we will get someone from your branch to contact you.

Yours sincerely,

Ken Woolley
On Behalf of Sally Bridge, National Officer

TB 160.20 BT Technology Service Platforms Compulsory Redundancy