The Communication Workers Union (CWU) has failed in its bid to win recognition among workers at Cable & Wireless.
Employees in the communication firm’s field services division have voted ‘no’ to union recognition.
This ruling follows a ballot in which 92% of staff voted, of whom 77% voted against the CWU being assigned the rights to negotiate their pay, working hours and holidays.
The union had been pursuing this recognition claim on behalf of members since May last year. Employment law stipulates that for union recognition to be granted, 40% of the workforce must vote, and the majority of them must vote ‘yes’.
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Cable and Wireless came under fire last summer for hiring so-called union busters the Burke Group. The CWU claimed this had created a bad atmosphere between staff and management.
But Cable & Wireless said it was committed to collective workplace representation through its in-house consultative body – the Employee Consultation Forum, rather than union recognition. Chief executive Jim Marsh said: “We are delighted that our colleagues in the field services team have chosen to put our customer service at the top of their list and voted against union recognition.”
