BT has enraged unions by paying its chief executive a bonus worth more than £1m.
The payment to Ian Livingston comes despite the firm cutting 35,000 jobs over the past two years.
The payout, which will be announced in BT’s annual report on Wednesday, also comes as the Communication Workers Union (CWU) prepares to ballot the telecommunication giant’s workers for strikes over pay, the Guardian has reported.
Andy Kerr, CWU deputy general secretary, described the bonus as “blatant double standards”.
He said: “Staff at BT have borne the brunt of the cost savings through redundancies, changes to pensions and a pay freeze. All we’re asking for is a fair share of the profits as a pay rise. If it’s good enough for the managers, it should be good enough for the staff.”
The CWU previously rejected an offer of a 2% pay rise at BT and is seeking a 5% award.
Prospect union, which also represents BT staff, recently voted in favour of the 2% pay increase.
About 40,000 BT managers will also receive bonuses following the firm’s improved performance last year.
