Dismay at new Manpower contracts

Telecoms & Financial Services August 8 2016

The CWU has expressed real concern at Manpower’s decision to press ahead with new short-term agency contracts that are exacerbating existing pay discrepancies at BT Consumer’s call centres.

Manpower says the six-month contracts – which are generally paying £1 an hour more than the PBA contract anda whopping £1.50 more at Canterbury – are being deliberately targeted at a different kind of recruit’, namely individuals who want some call centre experience but who aren’t necessarily interested in a career.

The CWU, however, has pointed out the danger of confusion and ill-feeling amongst Manpower members who are now potentially subject to three different pay rates for near identical work.

Despite CWU calls for a rethink, recruitment on the new short-term contracts (STCs) commenced in Doncaster and Canterbury on July 18 and is now in the process of being rolled out toother sites.

Assistant secretary Sally Bridge, who’s been working closely with the national officer for BT Consumer, Nigel Cotgrove, in formulating the union’s response, told The Voice: “Management says it believes these STCs are needed to plug a significant resource gap due to heavy call queues in Retentions’, which we’re told will be the exclusive workstream for the new recruits.

“At this point in time nobody can answer what happens after six months. Do they expect these employees just to leave, or revert back to the lower PBA standard rate of pay? We believe this is a strange method of resourcing which will generate ill-feeling and confusion.”

Sally concludes: “Above everything it sends out a perverse message to loyal and long-standing employees about where they stand in the pecking order.”