Thurso BT call centre affected by national strike over pay

The BT call centre in Thurso is being affected by a strike over a pay dispute which involves tens of thousands of workers throughout the country.

The action started yesterday and will continue on Wednesday as 30,000 Openreach engineers and 10,000 BT call centre workers in the Communication Workers Union (CWU) show "serious determination" to get the wage rise they say they deserve.

It is the first strike action at BT Group since 1987 and the first national call centre workers strike. Employees oppose the imposition by the company of a flat-rate pay rise.

Workers at the Inverness centre are also understood to be involved in the strike action.

Earlier this year, BT offered and implemented a £1500 per year pay increase for employees but with inflation already at 11.7 per cent this year, the union argues the offer is a real-terms pay cut.

The CWU points out that BT has made £1.3 billion in annual profit, with company chief executive, Philip Jansen, getting a £3.5 million pay package – a 32 per cent wage increase – while there have been reports of BT Group offices establishing food banks to assist employees.

The workers on strike look after the vast majority of Britain’s telecoms infrastructure, from mobile phone connection, broadband internet and back-up generators to national health systems, cyber security and data centres.

The action is also likely to have a serious effect on the roll-out of ultra-fast broadband, and may cause issues for people working from home.

Craig Anderson, the union's regional secretary in Scotland, confirmed strike action is taking place at the Thurso call centre and said: "The last thing we want is our members out on strike and affecting our customers but we feel we have no choice. The company is not meeting with us. There has been a discussion but no significant movement by the company but we hope they will get back round the table with us after this. If not, we will continue with the industrial action."

CWU general secretary Dave Ward said: "The disruption caused by this strike is entirely down to Philip Jansen and his ridiculous refusal to speak to his workers about a fair pay deal.

"These are the same workers who kept the country connected during the pandemic. Without CWU members, there would have been no home-working revolution, and vital technical infrastructure may have malfunctioned or been broken when our country most needed it.

"These people have performed phenomenally under great strain and have been given a real-terms pay cut for a reward, while Jansen has rewarded himself a 32 per cent pay increase off the backs of their work.

"The reason for the strike is simple: workers will not accept a massive deterioration in their living standards.

"We won’t have bosses using Swiss banks while workers are using food banks.

"BT Group workers are saying enough is enough. They have serious determination to win, and are not going to stop until they are listened to."

CWU deputy general secretary Andy Kerr said: "This decision to take strike action was not made lightly.

"Instead, our attempts to meet and improve this situation were declined by senior management who clearly have no time for the people who make them their massive profits.

"The constant disrespect shown towards our workforce has led to strike action that has been supported overwhelmingly by the public.

"If the top brass at BT haven’t got it yet – this is a problem entirely of their own making.

"BT Group workers will receive the dignity they deserve. That means a proper pay rise, and we will not give up until we get that."

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