Massive Thanks to BT CWU Members from our branch, for Supporting each other, Supporting the Union and Backing a democratic vote, on the First Day, Friday 29th July, of Strike Action.
Across the country striking BT and Openreach workers have received a remarkable level of public, political and wider trade union movement support at hundreds of CWU picket lines across the country.
Far from experiencing negativity, public anger or criticism, CWU activists and branches have reported an extraordinary outpouring of solidarity for the union’s stand as around 40,000 BT Group employees took part in the first national strike in BT since 1987.
Today’s strike has been nothing short of rock solid. In every town and city, BT Group employees manned over 400 picket lines, showing their opposition to a management that doesn’t seem to care about them. Today’s strike should be a wake-up call to Philip Jansen and BT Group that workers in this country will not sit idly by and watch their living standards crumble. The public is fed up at the level of corporate greed in this country today, and our members will be out again on Monday to tell BT Group that enough is enough.
A CWU spokesperson reporting on Fridays Strike.
Thanks to all our members who manned nearly 20 picket lines across our branch area.
Friday 29th Strike Action – Picket Duty
Praising the union’s BT Group membership for recognising such management intimidation and disinformation for what it is, Andy Kerr concluded: “Our members don’t want to take strike action, but neither are they going to accept the imposition of a real-terms pay cut while the company made £1.3bn in profit, shareholders gained £750million and the CEO pocketed a 32% pay rise.
“They have self-respect and aren’t afraid to stick up for themselves, No boss will crack their confidence any time soon.”
So according to Philip Jansen speaking to the Financial Times, article here.
Quote “There will be no winners from this action”, Well, Phil, getting a 32% pay increase to £3.5mn in the last financial year, owing to previous share awards, sounds like a good win.
CWU / BT Strike Action – Sky News Report – https://news.sky.com/story/bt-and-openreach-workers-in-first-national-telecoms-strike-since-1987-12660728
CWU secretary general Dave Ward says that if Labour doesn’t stand up for workers, unions will.