BT and Openreach workers strike in Glasgow city centre

From around 5.30am this morning, those striking made their way to Alexander Bain House on York Street and braved the rain to form a picket line as a result of an ongoing dispute over pay.

They joined thousands of members of the Communications Workers Union (CWU), the union for BT Group workers, who have walked out across the UK.

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Gordon Terris, Newsquest (Image: Gordon Terris, Newsquest)

This includes 30,000 Openreach engineers and 10,000 BT call centre workers who have previously taken part in industrial action, as well as more than 500 operators in 999 call centres who joined strikes for the first time today.

A spokesperson for BT Group said 999 will continue to operate as normal during the strike action and colleagues have been trained to fill gaps from any absences.

Gordon Terris, Newsquest (Image: Gordon Terris, Newsquest)

Craig Anderson, CWU regional secretary for Scotland, said: "We’re fighting for a fair pay rise.

"The company imposed a pay award earlier in the year without negotiation, without us being able to put that to the members and the members feel as if that’s not enough.

"It’s a company that’s made massive profits, £1.3bn.

"Our workers worked throughout the whole pandemic.

"Our 999 operators were in that building 24/7 and for us what some of the members are getting, especially a lot of the lower paid members, is just not enough at the moment.

"Bills are rising, people are struggling to put food on the table, pay their electricity, pay their rent, pay their mortgages and quite frankly the company should be recognising what the workers have put into this company."

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Gordon Terris, Newsquest (Image: Gordon Terris, Newsquest)

He added: "The 999 call handlers in the past two rounds of industrial action have been asked by the union to maintain the service.

"However, there’s been absolutely no movement from the company and we felt as if there’s no other option but to escalate the dispute."

Gordon Terris, Newsquest (Image: Gordon Terris, Newsquest)

Roz Foyer, Scottish Trade Union Congress (STUC) general secretary, said: "I’m here to support the workers of BT because their management is raking it in.

"We’re talking about a company that’s making record profits, we’re talking about a company who is paying its top brass top dollar.

"They’re on huge pay rises and huge bonuses and they’ve offered the workers a really substandard pay rise.

"We have inflation running in double figures, we have people struggling to heat their homes and feed their families, and these workers really need our support.

"They need everyone to get behind them, the whole trade union movements behind them, but we need everyone in the general public to get behind them.

"These workers shouldn’t have to be losing pay and be on strike, they should have had a decent offer to begin with."

David Linden MP joins CWU members [Gordon Terris, Newsquest] (Image: Gordon Terris, Newsquest)

A BT Group spokesperson said: "We know that our colleagues are dealing with the impacts of high inflation and, whilst we respect the right of colleagues to take industrial action, we are profoundly disappointed that the CWU is prepared to take this reckless course of action by including 999 services in strikes.

"We will do whatever it takes to protect 999 services - redeploying our people to the most important priority is a normal part of BT Group operations. 

"We made the best pay award we could in April, and we have held discussions with the CWU to find a way forward from here.

"In the meantime, we will continue to work to minimise any disruption and keep our customers and the country connected."

Further strike action from CWU members is planned for later this month on Monday 10, Thursday 20 and Monday 24.

Gordon Terris, Newsquest (Image: Gordon Terris, Newsquest)