UK telecoms workers to hold two-day strike over pay

More than 40,000 British workers for telecoms company BT Group will hold a two-day national strike over pay on July 29 and August 1, their first such action in 35 years, the Communication Workers Union (CWU) said on Friday.

“The reason for the strike is simple: workers will not accept a massive deterioration in their living standards,” CWU General Secretary Dave Ward said.

The union previously said the strike would delay broadband rollout and may disrupt phone and internet users, including those working from home.

BT Group said it was not prepared to improve its offer of a flat 1,500 pound pay rise, which it said was equivalent to a 5 per cent increase for the average worker.

“We have confirmed to the CWU that we won’t be re-opening the 2022 pay review, having already made the best award we could,” a BT Group spokesperson said.

“We will work to minimise any disruption and keep our customers and the country connected,” the spokesperson added.

The latest announcement by the CWU follows a wave of industrial action over pay and working conditions affecting various workers including airport staff and rail workers as Britain faces soaring inflation and a cost-of-living crisis.