BT staff accept three-year pay deal

BT WORKERS have voted overwhelmingly to accept a three-year pay deal worth 9.3 per cent, bringing an end to months of negotiations and the threat of industrial action.

Members of the Communication Workers Union voted by almost 9-1 in favour of the increase, which is backdated to January.

Andy Kerr, the union's deputy general secretary, said: "CWU members have backed this pay deal with a strong majority which is great. It was a very hard set of negotiations including a ballot for strike action.

"This pay deal provides stability and security for both staff and the company. It's within the top range of pay settlements in the UK this year and provides certainty for our members at a time of economic instability."

However, the union voiced anger at BT's decision to close its directory inquiries call centre in Barrow-in-Furness with the loss of at least 52 jobs.

Mr Kerr said: "This is a knee-jerk reaction to a drop in one work stream. BT is a huge blue-chip company which could easily identify alternative work for the Barrow site, so we believe the closure announcement is premature and a body blow to the local community."