Employees at BT, Openreach and EE have voted in favour of a pay deal that will see them receive a pay increase of 2.5% this year, as well as a £1,500 flat rate increase that was paid out in January this year.
Members of CWU voted by three to one in favour of the deal, which will also mean a 4% rise to apply from 1 April 2024.
This was the company’s final offer after strike action began last summer, and 74% of those taking part in the ballot voted in favour.
CWU said that, including the flat rate increase, the agreement would translate to an overall rise of between 13.7% and 23%, depending on pay grade, between April 2022 and 2024.
General secretary Andy Kerr said: “The fact that both pay rises are fully consolidated firstly means that increased hourly rates flow through to pay-related payments such as overtime, bank holiday premiums and pension.
BT Group pay deal
“Secondly, it means next April’s rise of 4% will be compounded on top of the 2.5% rise in September.”
Because the Treasury has predicted a decrease in inflation to between 2.5% and 3.2% in 2024, this could represent a “true cost of living-plus increase”, he added, although CWU said it would re-enter negotiations if the situation changed significantly.
Issues around grading are still to be resolved, said Kerr, and talks will continue. “These discussions are taking longer than anticipated due to their complexity – so banking a good deal on pay now made strong sense.”
In May, CWU members at Virgin Media O2 brokered a pay deal that will see some staff receive a pay rise of up to 10%, plus a £400 cash lump sum.
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