Telefonica pay ballot opens with vote ‘Yes’ recommendation

Telecoms & Financial Services, Telefonica UK February 13 2020

Members across Telefonica are being urged to accept a CWU-brokered pay deal which delivers an across the board increase of 2.55% in a consultative e-ballot that will open on Monday (February 17).

The deal – which is fully consolidated and flows through to all allowances, including pay and pension protection – includes similar performance-related pay progression arrangements for those on O2 contracts as have been applied in recent years.

Negotiated annually in tandem with pay on behalf of those members who don’t benefit from the contractual pay progression arrangements contained in legacy NewGRID contracts, those payments are worth between 0.25% for ‘developing performers’ and 1.5% for ‘outstanding performers’, with ‘good performers’ getting 1% and high performers’ getting 1.25%.

These pay progression payments are additional to the headline 2.55% pay increase that applies to all CWU-represented grades, whatever their performance score – with only those rated ‘under-performers’ in the 2019 End of Year Review receiving no pay progression payment at all.

Commending the deal to all members in Telefonica, assistant secretary Sally Bridge said: “This stacks up as a good increase that compares well with those being achieved elsewhere in the telecoms sector and is certainly the best that could be achieved by negotiation.

“The across the board offer of 2.55% sits comfortably above the current RPI inflation measure of 2.2%, and is a full 1.25% above the generally lower CPI measure of inflation which excludes housing costs.

“Crucially, Telefonica’s full and final offer maintains pay progression arrangements for T&E, Tech Spec and Business Support grades on O2 contracts, which are themselves fully consolidated.

“The negotiating team is wholeheartedly recommending the deal on offer to members, and we’d urge members to give it their full backing in the forthcoming ballot.”

Pending members’ acceptance of the deal, the pay increase and progression payments will be made in April’s salaries.

• E-Ballot forms will be emailed to members by independent scrutineer Popularis on Monday (February 17) and votes must have been cast by Friday February 28. The ballot result will be announced on Monday March 2.