UPDATE: UK's CWU To Send Out Ballot Papers To BT Staff Friday

17th Jun 2010 15:43

(Adds BT comments.) LONDON (Dow Jones)--The U.K.'s Communication Workers Union said Thursday that ballot papers will be sent to the 55,000 BT Group PLC's (BT.A.LN) workers it represents on Friday as expected, asking them to vote in favor of industrial action over a pay dispute. If staff vote in favor of a strike, it would be the first at the telecommunications company in 23 years. The ballot will be run by Electoral Reform Services, and close July 5. "We're confident that our members will vote yes in this ballot, despite the scare tactics of the company. It's time that BT recognizes that you can't treat staff like second class citizens," said Andy Kerr, CWU deputy general secretary. The CWU, BT's biggest worker group, is demanding a 5% pay rise this year. The company is offering a 2% pay raise this year and a 3% raise in 2011, plus additional one-off payments and guarantees on job security. Prospect, BT's second-biggest union with 30,000 members, mainly managers, has already agreed to a 2% pay rise. Kerr said the CWU remains open to meeting BT to discuss any improved offer on pay for this year. A BT spokesman said the company is "disappointed that the ballot is going ahead but for many months the union has appeared to be intent on taking industrial action. BT has improved its offer several times but the union have not moved once from their opening claim." As union leaders are unwilling to negotiate, BT is now contacting union members directly. "BT workers already enjoy pay and holidays well in excess of those at other companies and our offer would ensure that remains the case," he said. In the year to March, U.K. pay rose 1.2% in the private sector, compared with 4% in the public sector, according to data from the Office for National Statistics. -By Lilly Vitorovich, Dow Jones Newswires; 44-0-207 842 9290; [email protected] (END) Dow Jones Newswires June 17, 2010 10:43 ET (14:43 GMT)