Agency staff suffer BT pay freeze

The Communication Workers Union has discovered today (Monday) that BT is blocking a pay rise for agency staff working for Kelly Services.

Kelly Services have advised the CWU that as a result of their discussions with BT Group on the National Pay Rate Review there will be no pay increase during 2008 and pay rates will not be reviewed again until 2009.

Andy Kerr, deputy general secretary, said: “It is totally unacceptable for workers to receive no pay increase at all at a time when cost of living is rising sharply.

“This exposes the rhetoric and reality of BT’s position on agency workers and makes a mockery of the fact that BT continue to state that they are not constraining the pay rates. 

“Agency staff are constantly told that they are valued members of BT’s workforce, yet unequal treatment in terms of pay and conditions say otherwise. This is the fourth consecutive year that some Kelly employees have missed out on a pay rise.

“We call on BT to revisit pay negotiations and commit to a pay rise for agency staff to back-up the company’s claims that agency workers are valued.”

The CWU’s new campaign ‘Power-up for agency pay’, aims to get decent pay increases for agency staff this year.