CWU welcome appointment of Sir Brendan Barber on Openreach Board

For immediate release
01 February 2017

The CWU welcome the news that Sir Brendan Barber, former General Secretary of the TUC has been appointed as an independent director of a newly formed Openreach Board. The Board which has been set up by BT, following the Ofcom review of Digital Communications is designed to secure a more transparent and autonomous business for Openreach and therefore will oversee strategy, investment and service delivery.

Andy Kerr, Deputy General Secretary, Telecoms and Financial Services said: “The CWU has been pushing for the company to appoint a worker representative to the new Board of Openreach. We are therefore extremely pleased that they have decided to appoint Sir Brendan Barber.

“Brendan has a wealth of industrial and employment relations experience, working at the TUC since 1975, rising to become their General Secretary for nine years and now working as the Chair of the Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service since January 2014.

“As well as his knowledge and experience in the trade union movement, he is a man of integrity and his appointment will hopefully ensure some of the debates at board level, particularly relating to service delivery, give consideration to front-line workers.”

The Board will be chaired by Mike McTighe, appointed independent Chairman in December 2016. Edward Astle, former Board member of National Grid has also been announced as independent director. The fourth independent director is due to be announced imminently. Clive Selley, Openreach Chief Executive; Clare Sadlier, Openreach Chief Finance Officer; and Simon Lowth, BT Group Finance Director will also join the Openreach Board. Mr Selley will report to the Openreach Chairman, with accountability to the BT Chief Executive on issues relating to BT’s responsibilities as a publicly listed company.

-Ends-

Notes to editors:

CWU is the biggest trade union in the communications industry with 195,000 members in post, telecoms, and mobile and financial services companies including Royal Mail, the Post Office, BT Group, EE, O2 and Santander.

For interview / further comment please contact:

Charlie Pullinger, CWU Press Officer 020 8971 7267 / 07793 314249 cpullinger@cwu.org