The Communications Workers Union (CWU) has announced further strike action affecting BT and Openreach workers in the coming months.
Around 40,000 Openreach engineers and BT call-centre staff walked out last month in protest at pay offers described as “weak” and below the rate of inflation. That two-day strike—the first industrial action at BT since 1987—was driven by concerns over declining real incomes and the company’s refusal to increase its pay proposal.
“Workers will not accept a massive deterioration in their living standards,” Dave Ward, General Secretary of the CWU, said following the initial action. Union leaders say the disruption is a direct consequence of BT management’s refusal to return to meaningful negotiations.
CWU Deputy General Secretary Andy Kerr highlighted the severity of the situation in a TV interview, pointing to the presence of a food bank serving employees at a North East call centre. The interview also noted that some BT customers face price rises of up to 23 percent over a year, adding pressure on both staff and consumers.
“We’re still hoping to get BT back round the table for serious negotiations,” Kerr said. “As things stand, it has sadly become clear that simply isn’t going to happen unless we take further action… so that’s precisely what we’re going to do.”
BT maintains it “made the best pay award we could” and has indicated it will not reopen negotiations on the offer. The company also says it recognises employees are feeling the impact of high inflation and that it respects their right to strike, while working to minimise disruption.
The CWU has scheduled further strike dates for BT and Openreach staff on 29 July and 1 August. Both the union and the company acknowledge that the upcoming action could affect service delivery, and BT says it will “continue to work to minimise any disruption and keep our customers and the country connected.”
UK inflation reached 9.4 percent in the year to June, a 40-year high, and many economists expect persistent inflationary pressures later in the year. Rising living costs have become a central issue in the dispute, with union representatives arguing that current pay offers leave staff worse off in real terms.
The dispute highlights broader tensions between large employers trying to manage costs and workers seeking pay settlements that protect standards of living amid sustained price increases. Union leaders say industrial action remains a last resort aimed at securing meaningful negotiations and fair pay, while the employer stresses budgetary constraints and its efforts to limit customer disruption.
(Photo by Joanna Kosinska on Unsplash)
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