Pay rise for Manpower agency workers something to celebrate’
Telecoms & Financial Services April 1 2016CWU members at Manpower are finally to see an increase in their pay after years languishing on low rates unequal to that of many of their fellow BT workers.
The members affected are agency workers on BT contracts who, because of a pay between assignment’ contracts loophole in the EU Temporarily Agency Workers Directive exploited by Manpower, do not get equal pay.
CWU Assistant Secretary Sally Bridge said: “The union has constantly pressed the company to address the fact that these people typically get paid below their directly-employed BT counterparts doing exactly the same jobs, and that they are, unfairly, not subject to the same yearly pay reviews and rises – but Manpower’s typical response has been that they pay the market rate’. BT’s response has been to distance themselves from these employees and claim no responsibility.
“This increase is definitely a step in the right direction and will be very much welcomed by our Manpower members. However, it will still not mean that they achieve parity with their BT counterparts and we will continue to pressure Manpower and BT to end this unfair situation.”
The increases are as follows:
- South Shields/Truro/Lancaster – increase to £7.20 from 27 March
- Dundee – Service & Sales – increase to £7.20 and further increase to £8 from 1 June
- Canterbury/Newcastle Sales – increase to £8 from 1 May
Pauline Rourke, Retail Secretary of CWU Edinburgh Dundee & Borders Branch, said: “This is great news for this site. The increase will make a huge difference to people’s lives. Mostly younger members were affected and this will help them a lot, especially in their home lives. Some of them were having to top up with benefits and that can’t be right.
“As a branch, we were in the forefront of the CWU campaign to secure a fair deal for agency workers, so it’s something to celebrate – and it does credit to the union for pushing on this.”