Branches will be aware of the ongoing discussions the CWU Executive team hold with Openreach Service Management under the auspices of the holistic resourcing agreement, and of the criteria used when considering proposals specifically for off-shoring. I have previously reported on specific proposals, including the last which was a one-off build of a data-base to better handle the new arrangements for Service Level Guarantees.

 In March 2008, the number of 'seats' offshored stood at 387 broken down as follows: -

                              LLU P                      34

                             LLU A                     73

                             WLR P                     68

                             WLR A                    24

                             NAM                       45

                             RS                         86

                             Fleet                      22

                             TRC/SF1                 35

 And it should be borne in mind that a sizeable proportion of this off-shoring was inherited from the constituent parts when Openreach was created.  All of the work, in the view of the Executive, conforms to the criteria set out in the joint agreement and some of the functions are on work which is either a one-off project or will be automated in a definable period.

 When the agreement was struck the direct labour workforce in Service was around 1400 FTE.  A prime concern of the CWU was the maintenance of that existing workforce.  Despite off-shoring the direct labour force grew to around 1700 mainly through redeployees and units from other parts of BT.  Even with the recent offer and take up of NewStart, the direct labour is still well in excess of the original number. It is also pleasing to report that there will be a limited but nonetheless welcome recruitment of Modern Apprentices in the Service Management area.

In early June, Openreach sent the CWU a number of proposals on off-shoring which we have been considering since then.  We have taken soundings from members and Branches on the complexity or otherwise of the processes contained in the proposals.

A brief outline of the subject areas and sub-processes are contained in the attached management briefings.  The Executive team have gone into these proposals in some considerable detail and are satisfied that they fall within the agreed criteria.  More particularly we have explored in depth the impact on CWU represented grades.  Assurances have been obtained that all BT employees on these workstreams will move to alternative work appropriate to their grade in Openreach.

In the course of these discussions, the CWU team reminded management of similar assurances given to members formerly working on Routing Solutions work in Dundee which, through a combination of circumstances, were not fulfilled.  It has been made clear to Openreach that the CWU's objective is to have those members returned from Retail.  A separate meeting is being arranged on that issue.

In these circumstance the Executive has given agreement to the proposals whilst signalling decline in volumes reach such a level that could result in surpluses in Service Management, we will, under the terms of the agreement, expect work to be returned from India.