BT to go on strike

[crankedup5]

The next group of workers that have balloted for strike action over pay increase issues. They are looking for 10% and that has been refused. Meanwhile the CEO pocketed a 32% pay increase last year. Hope your line or broadband doesn’t need fixing anytime soon.

[deckster]

It's been 20 years since I worked at BT. But back then there was a small but very vocal core of largely ex-Post Office employees who would threaten to strike at the drop of a hat. They even followed it through once and formed a rather sparsely-attended picket line outside the office. I thought it was rather sweet at the time.

[valiant]

deckster said:

It's been 20 years since I worked at BT. But back then there was a small but very vocal core of largely ex-Post Office employees who would threaten to strike at the drop of a hat. They even followed it through once and formed a rather sparsely-attended picket line outside the office. I thought it was rather sweet at the time.

It would be sparsely attended. Guidance suggests a max number of 6 picketers allowed at any one time.

[CoolHands]

Would anybody notice

[untakenname]

I've often wondered why BT don't sell/partition off the vast amounts of massive telephone exchanges they own in London?
Example building


The space was needed back in the days where humans made the connections and even up until the 00's with analogue/ISDN where rack upon rack of network equipment was required but now with fibre and 4U racks very little space is needed in comparison.

[garagewidow]

Don't think they actually own a lot of them,possibly under lease and have to let it run till it finishes,either that or they are just sitting on them as investment.

I've been in a lot of exchanges and it is staggering how empty they are now.

[abzmike]

CoolHands said:

Would anybody notice

Yes… anything that needs changing, house/business moves, contract renewals, oh and things breaking that need fixed. A nationwide network with tens of millions of parts doesn’t run itself.

[captain_cynic]

untakenname said:

I've often wondered why BT don't sell/partition off the vast amounts of massive telephone exchanges they own in London?
Example building


The space was needed back in the days where humans made the connections and even up until the 00's with analogue/ISDN where rack upon rack of network equipment was required but now with fibre and 4U racks very little space is needed in comparison.

The problem is that telephone exchanges are secure facilities. Not quite so easy to partition off and lease out.

Those built in the 50' to 70's. Made for pre-microchip exchange equipment (valves, vacuum tubes, et Al) that would take up an entire 2 story detached house but designed in the cold war, made to survive but the equipment now fits in a single rack.

So in the event of a zombie apocalypse I'd head straight for the nearest phone exchange.

[cossy400]

F**k it the whole country should down tools and be done with it.

Or thou if the chiefs had 32%, then i se no problem with them striking, take it from the execs etc

[leef44]

cossy400 said:

F**k it the whole country should down tools and be done with it.

Or thou if the chiefs had 32%, then i se no problem with them striking, take it from the execs etc

It would be good to have a requirement that the boss cannot earn a higher payer in %term than the staff. This would incentivise management to get more productivity and nurture the staff.

Look after the workers and the productivity on the company improves.

I know the issue is trying to be competitive to recruit the best talent in CEO otherwise they all go abroad, but the incentives are not aligned to making the best for the company.

[craigjm]

valiant said:

deckster said:

It's been 20 years since I worked at BT. But back then there was a small but very vocal core of largely ex-Post Office employees who would threaten to strike at the drop of a hat. They even followed it through once and formed a rather sparsely-attended picket line outside the office. I thought it was rather sweet at the time.

It would be sparsely attended. Guidance suggests a max number of 6 picketers allowed at any one time.

It doesn’t suggest a max. The “guidance” which is not law, says that the number of pickets at an entrance should not exceed six. More to the point, it only came into being in 2017 so is not really relevant to a story from 20 years ago

[SlimJim16v]

untakenname said:

I've often wondered why BT don't sell/partition off the vast amounts of massive telephone exchanges they own in London?

They started doing that in the early 2000s. Entire buildings in central London were being sold off.

Edited by SlimJim16v on Friday 1st July 20:18

[Hub]

crankedup5 said:

The next group of workers that have balloted for strike action over pay increase issues. They are looking for 10% and that has been refused. Meanwhile the CEO pocketed a 32% pay increase last year. Hope your line or broadband doesn’t need fixing anytime soon.

Meanwhile BT prices rise by CPI + 3.9% each year...

[crankedup5]

leef44 said:

cossy400 said:

F**k it the whole country should down tools and be done with it.

Or thou if the chiefs had 32%, then i se no problem with them striking, take it from the execs etc

It would be good to have a requirement that the boss cannot earn a higher payer in %term than the staff. This would incentivise management to get more productivity and nurture the staff.

Look after the workers and the productivity on the company improves.

I know the issue is trying to be competitive to recruit the best talent in CEO otherwise they all go abroad, but the incentives are not aligned to making the best for the company.

Not so many years ago the CEO pay package was much more closely aligned with the worker pay packet. And then greed took over under the guise of ‘we are worth it’ bks.

[MitchT]

cossy400 said:

F**k it the whole country should down tools and be done with it.

I wish we all could. I get paid a hell of a lot less than this lot that are going on strike and think they're hard done by. My monthly take home pay has gone up by £33 in the last five years! However, my employer's costs are rising and their customers are spending less, so where would the money come from?

[Jamescrs]

It's going to be a really bleak.winter this winter. I predict these strikes are just going to keep gathering pace.

[MitchT]

leef44 said:

It would be good to have a requirement that the boss cannot earn a higher payer in %term than the staff.

I thought this some time ago - highest paid person shouldn't be paid more than a certain multiple of the lowest paid person. Of course, those at the top would find a clever accountant to minimise their salary and take the big money via some other channel.

[NextSlidePlease]

Who gives a st what the CEO is on? There will always be richer people in the world than you. I try not let it affect me but some people have a real bee in their bonnet about what the boss earns, and why Elon musk isn't helping starving Africans etc.

If they feel they are worth 10% more then fine, strike until the cows come home but don't use the CEO wage packet as amunition.

Bit like when the MP's get a payrise. So what?! You couldnt pay me enough money to take the amount of collective st that 70 million people can throw at you. F that they should be paid more, it might attract more talent.

Oh wow went a bit off topic there. As you were.

[craigjm]

NextSlidePlease said:

Who gives a st what the CEO is on? There will always be richer people in the world than you. I try not let it affect me but some people have a real bee in their bonnet about what the boss earns, and why Elon musk isn't helping starving Africans etc.

If they feel they are worth 10% more then fine, strike until the cows come home but don't use the CEO wage packet as amunition.

Bit like when the MP's get a payrise. So what?! You couldnt pay me enough money to take the amount of collective st that 70 million people can throw at you. F that they should be paid more, it might attract more talent.

Oh wow went a bit off topic there. As you were.

Agreed and if you don’t like what you’re being paid go and find a better paid job. Yes there are some jobs in society that are criminally underpaid but also a huge number of people that are underpaid in their head but it’s due to the fact they have just sat in the same job for years. If you want to move up the ladder salary rise you have to move jobs regularly. Not necessarily outside of the company you are in either.