BT strike cancelled

Dawinderpal Sahota, Computing, Monday 5 July 2010 at 17:48:00

Ballot withdrawn due to "procedural issues"

BT staff will not go on strike after the
Communication
Workers Union (CWU) withdrew its ballot for industrial action. According to
BT, the CWU has accepted that there were ?procedural issues? regarding how the
ballot was conducted.

The CWU had earlier rejected an offer of increased pay last month, accusing
the firm of
?blatant
double standards?. The CWU said that blue-collar workers were not being
adequately rewarded for their contribution to the company making cost savings of
�1.75bn and profit of more than �1bn last year.

It also claimed that the company would offer its senior executives large pay
rises and bonuses, describing the offer to lesser-paid workers as "nothing short
of an insult to the very employees who have helped secure BT's remarkable
turnaround".

The CWU has since decided to withdraw its ballot.

?BT is pleased that the CWU has withdrawn its ballot for industrial action,?
said the company in a statement.

?There were procedural issues regarding the ballot that we raised from the
start and the union have now accepted this to be the case. Our door remains
fully open to the union and so we hope we can sit down and resolve this matter.
An amicable agreement is in everyone?s interest and the withdrawal of the ballot
provides both sides with a window of opportunity in which to reach such an
agreement?.

Full story at http://www.computing.co.uk/computing/news/2265964/bt-workers-going-strike