Letter to
Branches
|
No. 669/2011 |
Ref: |
Date: 29 July 2011 |
To: All branches with members working in BT
Fleet
Dear Colleague
BT
Fleet Registered Disagreement
The BT Fleet team, which consists of
executive and lay members, has registered disagreement with BT Fleet over the
issue of resourcing, in particular the outcome of the recent leaver scheme.
Branches will be aware from LTB 570/2011
that the team were very unhappy with the company pressing ahead with a Leaver
scheme because of the potential impact on the workshop network in particular,
but also because of the level of agency staff throughout Fleet and the
additional hours regularly being worked at Parkside.
Despite our clear objections, Fleet not
only pressed ahead but did so and advised people they could be released before
providing any information to the union about numbers, grades or locations.
Indeed, the company failed to provide this information at a meeting held to
discuss this very issue, despite being asked in advance to provide it.
Following the meeting the team were sent a
list of leavers and locations. We analysed this information and discovered that
the vast majority of those leaving the business on release were the higher
grades. Of 17 people leaving from the
workshops, 10 are C1 or C2. The loss of workshop supervisors from workshops is
extremely problematic and we are deeply concerned about the potential Health
& Safety implications, the ability of the business to deliver a service and
the viability of the Network. 7 people are
to leave Parkside, in areas where there are already agency staff and overtime
and weekends are being worked.
Clarity is also being sought around a
rumour that there is to be a team outsourced from Parkside and to which we have
not yet had a response.
Additionally, the company had agreed to
hold a meeting with us in the first quarter with a view to resolving the
employment status of some of those on Fixed Term Contracts. To date there has
been no movement on that issue despite this being the result of a previous
escalation to BT Group.
The letter of disagreement is attached and
Branches are asked to ensure this LTB is brought to the attention of our
members in BT Fleet. We cannot rule out the possibility of industrial action if
the company are unable to reassure the team on these issues. Branches and
members will be aware this disagreement is being registered only a few weeks
after we had a major issue with BT Fleet over a potential TUPE. That issue was
resolved successfully but there is no doubt that the team has major concerns
about the current industrial relations climate.
The team believe that the viability of the
Network is something that we must protect if we are to protect the longer term
future of BT Fleet. We hope that these issues will be resolved without recourse
to action.
Yours sincerely,
Assistant
Secretary
