BT Group facilities management contract extension ‘good news for job security’
BT April 19 2023
BT Group’s decision to extend its outsourced facility services contract with CBRE has been warmly welcomed by the CWU as good news for more than a thousand housekeepers, security guards, grounds maintenance staff and post room employees across the BT estate.
Today’ confirmation that the telecommunication giant’s contract with CBRE – which was due to expire at the end of March next year – will continue to run for further two years from 1st April 2024 to March 2026 defuses a gradually increasing sense of uncertainty as what next spring could otherwise have held in store.
In parallel with the extension of CBRE’s overarching facilities management contract with BT, CBRE has simultaneously confirmed it is extending its established subcontracts with ISS, Peartree Cleaning and Swiss Post – providing further reassurance to those who were part of the disputed outsourcing of BT Facilities Services in 2017.
CWU national officer Tracey Fussey told CWU News: “We’ve been informed that there are no changes to the contract structure, scope or established sub-contractors under the agreement that has been announced today – though BT has taken this opportunity to increase the service levels and quality standards required within the performance of the contract.
“As such, the CWU will be discussing matters further with BT, CBRE and sub-contractors to understand the impact that the increased service levels and quality standards will bring – both on our members delivering the service across the BT estate and for our BT Group members working within it.
“There’s no doubt, however, that the increased job security and certainty this announcement brings for our members working on the BT contract is very welcome news, and the union is pleased and relieved that the contract extension is now signed and sealed.”
Tracey stresses, however, that ultimately the CWU’s ability to negotiate effectively on behalf of all its outsourced facilities services members depends the union’s membership density in all the respective companies, concluding: “Looking forward to the future, this is an appropriate moment to remind ourselves of the importance of continually striving to maintain and grow our membership base, because unity is our guarantee of workforce strength.
“As as such I’d urge all our fantastic members in CBRE, ISS, Swiss Post and Peartree – as well as the branches that represent them – to encourage any non-members working for these companies to join the CWU without delay.”
Any team member employees who are not currently members of the union can easily and quickly join the CWU by clicking here.