Devon & Somerset Branch

To: All branches with members in BT

Dear Colleague

BT Pay 2010 - Final Offer

Following the Branch Forum yesterday on the BT Pay Review 2010, the TFS Executive have met and agreed to recommend BT’s final offer to members.

BT’s final offer for pay increases for all Team Member NewGRID grades is as follows:

·         A 3% consolidated and fully pensionable increase to base pay which will flow through to pay-related allowances, including the pay and pension supplement, backdated to 1 January 2010, for all employees in post at the point of implementation which we expect to be August 2010.

·         A 3% consolidated and fully pensionable increase to base pay which will flow through to pay-related allowances, including the pay and pension supplement, from 1 January 2011.

·         A 3% consolidated and fully pensionable increase to base pay which will flow through to pay-related allowances, including the pay and pension supplement, from 1 January 2012. For this part of the review only should the November 2011 RPI (published in December 2011) be above 3.2% or below 2.5% then both sides agree to meet and to discuss the impact of this and seek to agree an optimum position. Both parties agree to enter into these discussions to seek to ensure that the impact of a volatile RPI is mitigated, both for the business and employees.

·         Following the above measures the next Pay Review date will be 1 April 2013.The offer is fully consolidated and pensionable and it provides a 9.3% increase to basic pay over three years.  The increase in the maximum pay rate is set out in the table below for selected NewGRID grades: 

BT Pay Offer 2010 – Effect on Current Maximum Pay Rates

The offer is within the top range of pay settlements in April as recorded by Incomes Data Services (IDS Pay Report July 2010).

We will be making arrangements to hold a consultative ballot of our affected members and information regarding the timetable will follow. 

Although our ballot for strike action was ultimately withdrawn, feedback from members and branches indicated that there was overwhelming support in favour of a yes vote.  Combined with our clear commitment to re-ballot in the absence of an improved offer, this would have played a major part in BT’s decision to invite us back to the negotiating table with a significantly improved pay offer.  

I would like to thank branches for your hard work, your commitment and your determination over the last few weeks in taking the union’s message to the members and galvanising their support for the campaign.  Through our collective efforts we have achieved a pay settlement that the Executive believes is fair and affordable in the current climate. 

Yours sincerely,

Andy Kerr

Deputy General Secretary (T&FS)