The Communication Workers’ Union has published a universal manifesto for workers in the telecoms industry, setting out benchmarks for pay, conditions and future negotiations.
The publication of the manifesto fulfils the terms of a motion that was carried at the Communication Workers’ Union conference in May, where delegates agreed that an ‘aspirational’ guide was needed.
The union believes the manifesto will help to protect its members in firms that, it claims, seek to benchmark pay and conditions at the lowest possible level.
“We will resist the fundamental premise of employers that they can drive down wages by using private consortiums to share information on pay – effectively conspiring to set wages low across an entire sector,” it states.
Jeannie Drake, deputy general secretary (telecoms), said: “[The manifesto] is intended to inform members, potential members and other interested parties about the Communication Workers’ Union’s strategy and goals in this industry sector, and to be used as a guide in discussions with employers, with the aim of achieving a whole range of objectives from equal pay to freedom from bullying and harassment.”
