‘Well-deserved’ above-inflation rise for BT & Openreach workers

BT, Openreach

Around 40,000 hard-working BT and Openreach members are receiving above-inflation pay increases this month thanks to the CWU, as Year two of the national pay agreement is implemented.

For those on the older, NewGrid contracts, wages are up by 3 per cent, a rise which is fully consolidated and pensionable and flows through to pay-related allowances and premium payments.

And there is an extra £150 (pro-rata for part-time) – on top of the 3 per cent – consolidated award for workers on newer Workforce 2020 terms and conditions.

CWU deputy general secretary telecoms & financial service Andy Kerr said: “With the current Retail Prices Index running at 2.5 per cent, this represents an excellent, above-inflation rise for our members and is in the top 25 per cent of current UK settlements. The extra £150  for Workforce 2020 contracts goes some way towards narrowing the gap between those grades and the legacy NewGrid grades.

“And there’s no doubt that our hard-working members fully deserve every penny, for their dedication and service to customers and to the business.,” he added.

Separately, in Consumer, new TM2 recruits receive an added benefit on top of their basic pay rise, with the abolition of the old 90 per cent ‘recruitment rate’, which has previously applied for the first nine months in post. As part of a package negotiated by the CWU last year, the 90 per cent rate has been abolished from 1st April.

CWU assistant secretary Nigel Cotgrove commented: “This change will benefit 900 advisors and, when combined with the 2019 pay deal, will mean some members getting an increase of 15 per cent.”