News

CWU Live is in Liverpool this week for the Labour Party Conference. We talk about the upcoming CWU Political Fund Ballot, chat to MPs and go behind the scenes at Labour Conference.

Your Voice – Bring Back Our Poling Work!

Openreach management’s unagreed decision to move poling crews onto other duties and give their work to third-party contractors has caused widespread discontent…
CWU acting national officer for Openreach members Fiona Curtis tells Your Voice:
“The company made this announcement to our members in mid-July on a unilateral and unagreed basis and it’s something the union strongly disagrees with.

– disingenuous, underhand and yet another imposition!

You will have had a communication from Openreach this afternoon announcing a reduction in Saturday working for Field Engineers in FTTP. This has been portrayed positively, it is quite the opposite. The reduction in the number of Saturdays from 12 to 9 has not been agreed by the CWU, despite there being a National Agreement on the process. This is a unilateral imposition by Openreach and, despite strong representations by your union today, they have continued with the communication.

An emotional farewell

On the final day of T&FS Conference, delegates heard an emotional farewell speech from retiring deputy general secretary Andy Kerr.

Following a surprise video created by the union’s communications department which featured reminisces from general secretary Dave Ward which honoured his “incredible lifelong contribution” to the union, T&FS chair Karen Rose also discussed her affection for Andy to delegates.

100% solidarity with Enniskillen members

Northern Ireland Telecoms Branch delegate Paddy Meehan brought Conference to its feet with a rousing call for solidarity and support for Enniskillen workers and their community.

In a powerful proposition-moving speech, Paddy said that some 300 EE (former BT) jobs in the Fermanagh town are under threat if the site closes and its operations are transferred to Belfast – over 80 miles away – and that the situation has sparked a local ‘Save Our Site’ campaign.

Telecoms & Financial Services (T&FS) Conference got off to a heady start yesterday, in addressing core concerns from workplace surveillance to crumbling buildings.

Opening the proceedings was deputy general secretary (T&FS) Andy Kerr, who described the concentration and seriousness with which this sector of the union deals with industrial relations in the 28 different companies we are recognised.