TELECOM & FINANCIAL SERVICESCONFERENCE AGENDA TUESDAY 25TH – THURSDAY 27TH APRIL 2017BOURNEMOUTH INTERNATIONAL CENTRE

T&FS CONFERENCE

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25th – 27th April 2017

Bournemouth International Centre ______________

Instructions to Delegates

ADMISSION TO CONFERENCE

Before leaving home make sure you have your Membership Card, and Agenda.

Admission to Conference is by the appropriate credential card only.

OPENING OF CONFERENCE

The doors will be opened at 08.30 sharp on Tuesday morning. Please be early so that you are seated by 09.00 hrs.

STANDING ORDERS Read your Standing Orders thoroughly. If you have any doubt about any Standing

Order consult the Standing Orders Committee.

VOTING Votes are normally by a show of hands.

ADDRESSING CONFERENCE Position yourself 15 cms from the microphone and speak normally.

NOISE LEVEL DURING CONFERENCE Please keep as quiet as possible during the proceedings of Conference.

LUGGAGE

If you need to bring bags or suitcases into the conference hall please do not leave them unattended. Please also ensure that bags and suitcases do not block aisles or

stairways.

PROHIBITIONS

The use of mobile phones or devices (Smartphones, Tablets and Laptops) must be

switched off or set to Silent, while in the confines of the Conference Hall.

During “in Camera debates” recording and or reporting of these debates

shall be strictly prohibited.

No documents, posters or banners shall be circulated, distributed or displayed within

the Conference Hall without the permission of the Standing Orders Committee.

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STATEMENT Dear Colleague Firstly can I welcome delegates and visitors to the 2017 Telecoms and Financial Services Conference. In preparing this year’s Agenda, the SOC has continued with the format relating to the Union’s activity in companies other than BT on the first day of the Conference. We are also pleased to report that Branches continue to utilise their entitlement to submit additional

motions relating to these companies under Rule 10.8.7(a). The SOC has continued to operate with its policy on the inclusion and the placement of motions. It is disappointing that not all branches have used the advice contained in the Guidance on Submitting Motions sent out on LTB 071/17 when submitting motions. The SOC have continued with the policy not to alter or amend any of the motions submitted and this information was provided on LTB 071/17. This is in response to concerns that even minor amendments can impact the intention of the submitting body; the SOC has intentionally published the motions as submitted to retain their original integrity. As always this process does not affect the rights of Branches to challenge the decisions of the SOC, by following the reference back procedure as published in the Standing Orders.

The SOC has continued with the timings for proposer, seconder and subsequent speakers at 3 minutes and we would ask that speakers adhere to this time and only ask for an extension in EXCEPTIONAL CIRCUMSTANCES bearing in mind that there were 11 motions on last years agenda which we did not reach. This year’s agenda has seen an increase of 20 motions and mindful of the time available we have reduced the time allowed for extensions to 2 mins. Please refer to Standing Order 4d for clarification on this. The T&FS Executive have requested a timeslot on Tuesday afternoon for a presentation on Building Tomorrow Together, to be heard “In Camera” and also a BT speaker on the Wednesday morning which we have accommodated. In respect of all other issues, the Standing Orders Committee has set out the Agenda in such a way that hopefully will allow debate on all the major issues affecting our members in all companies where we recruit, and that Conference time will be well spent creating policy.

Finally, on behalf of the T&FS Standing Orders Committee, may I wish everyone a successful Conference, and offer our assistance regarding queries or problems with either the Agenda or the Standing Orders. Yours Sincerely

Joyce Stevenson (Chairperson) Telecom and Financial Services Standing Orders Committee

T&FS CONFERENCE

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

Page

Statement by Joyce Stevenson 2

Timetable/Programme of Business 4

Branch Voting Strengths 5

Members of Telecom and Financial Services Executive and

Officers

7

Standing Orders Committee Report 7

Standing Orders 8

Members of Standing Orders Committee 13

AGENDA MOTIONS

TELECOMS AND FINANCIAL SERVICES CONFERENCE 1-96

Motions not admitted to the agenda 97-99

TIMETABLE/PROGRAMME OF BUSINESS

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TIMETABLE/PROGRAMME OF BUSINESS Tuesday 25th April 2017

TELECOMS AND FINANCIAL SERVICES CONFERENCE

09.00 Chair’s opening remarks 09.10 Adoption of Standing Orders Report 09.20 Andy Kerr, Deputy General Secretary T&FS 09.40 Section 1 Motions 1 - 7 Page 14-16 10.40 Section 2 Motions 8 - 10 Page 17 11.05 Section 3 Motions 11 - 13 Page 18 11.30 Section 4 Motions 14 - 22 Page 19-21 12.45 Lunch 14.00 Section 5 Motions 23 Page 22 14.10 Section 6 Motions 24 - 30 Page 23-25 15.10 Section 7 Motions 31 - 34 Page 26-27 15.45 Building Tomorrow Together (In Camera)

17.45 Conference Adjourns

Wednesday 26th April 2017

TELECOMS AND FINANCIAL SERVICES CONFERENCE

09.00 Section 8 Motions 35 - 40 Page 28-29 09.50 Section 9 Motions 41 - 46 Page 30-32 10.40 Section 10 Motions 47 - 52 Page 33-34 11.30 Guest Speaker - Clive Selley, CEO BT Openreach 12.45 Lunch 14.00 Section 11 Motions 53 - 56 Page 35-36

14.35 Section 12 Motions 57 - 60 Page 37 15.10 Section 13 Motions 61 - 66 Page 38-39 16.00 Section 14 Motions 67 - 70 Page 40-41 16.35 Section 15 Motions 71 - 78 Page 42-44 17.45 Conference Adjourns

Thursday 27th April 2017 TELECOMS AND FINANCIAL SERVICES CONFERENCE

09.00 Section 16 Motions 79 - 80 Page 45 09.20 Section 17 Motions 81 - 82 Page 46

09.35 Section 18 Motions 83 - 88 Page 47-48 10.25 Section 19 Motions 89 - 93 Page 49-50 11.10 Section 20 Motions 94 - 96 Page 51-52 11.35 Chairs Closing Remarks 11.45 Conference Closes

VOTING STRENGTHS

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BRANCHES WITH MEMBERS IN THE TELECOMS AND

FINANCIAL SERVICES CONSTITUENCY

REF BRANCH MEMBERS

21819 Central Counties and Thames Valley 2,067

21827 South East Anglia 1,022

21831 North Anglia 1,523

22032 Midland No.1 2,426

22238 Leicester and Midshires 722

22601 Algus National 1,411

22666 Birmingham, Black Country and Worcs 650

22803 East Midlands 1,431

22809 Coventry 654

23404 South Yorkshire 807

23669 Tyne and Wear Clerical 1,463

23727 Bradford Financial Services 139

23808 North East 1,845

23817 Lincolnshire and South Yorkshire 1,411

23830 West Yorkshire 2,450

24024 Northern Ireland Telecoms 1,611

25274 Manchester Combined 1,581

25646 Mersey 1,260

25664 Manchester Clerical 593

25730 Bootle Financial Services 1,508

25731 Bootle IPSL 160

25732 Northern and Financial Services 364

25801 Isle of Man 162

25821 Lancs and Cumbria Combined 1,824

25803 Preston brook and Bury 992

26156 Glasgow and Motherwell 908

26825 Edinburgh, Dundee and Borders 1,677

26829 Scotland No.1 2,516

27049 South East Central 1,138

27353 Portsmouth, West and Isle of Wight 676

27805 Meridian 814

28459 Somerset, Devon and Cornwall 1,883

28828 Great Western 2,586

29807 Mid Wales, the Marches and North Staffs 986

29816 North Wales and Chester Combined 605

29823 South Wales 2,117

30250 AIM Branch 70

30252 Greater London Combined 4,066

30810 Capital 2,027

VOTING STRENGTHS

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REF BRANCH MEMBERS

30811 London and West 1,288

30834 South London, Surrey and N.Hampshire 2,167

45001 Greater Mersey and South West Lancs 930

TOTAL 56,530

EXECUTIVE COUNCIL AND OFFICERS

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TELECOMS AND FINANCIAL SERVICES EXECUTIVE AND OFFICERS

S Albon T Buckley T Cooper D Cort N Darbyshire T Fussey G McArdle** C McGlynn

K Rose B Shepherd D Stuart D Tee

J Upton S Walmsley* K Woolley

* Until May 2016

** Until November 2016

Officers

Deputy General Secretary A Kerr

D Bowman S Bridge N Cotgrove J East A Eldred D Jukes B O’Brien +

+Elected July 2016

STANDING ORDERS COMMITTEE REPORT

The Standing Orders Committee will present a report upon the Committee’s work, the Conference Agenda and the Standing Orders for the government of Conference proceedings and thereon will move: “That the proceedings of the Standing Orders Committee be approved and the Agenda and Standing Orders now presented be accepted and form the Agenda and Standing Orders for this year’s Telecom and Financial Services Conference.”

............................................................................to second.

Rule 10.6.7 The Standing Orders Committee will give priority to motions in the following order:- (a) Category A - Those motions which in the view of the SOC require a

decision by Conference; (b) Category B - Motions whose general point is to reverse policy decided at

the previous year’s Conference; (c) Category C - Those motions which in the view of the SOC seek only to

confirm existing policy; (d) Category D

- Those motions which in the opinion of the SOC could be dealt with in correspondence;

(e) Category X - Those motions which in the opinion of the SOC are out of order. These shall be printed but shall not be admitted to the agenda.

STANDING ORDERS

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ANNUAL CONFERENCE 2017 TELECOMS & FINANCIAL SERVICES CONFERENCE

STANDING ORDERS

1. The sessions of the Telecoms & Financial Services Conference shall commence in accordance with the timetable.

2. TIMETABLE (a) (i) Chairperson’s Address (ii) Adoption of Telecoms & Financial Services Conference Standing Orders

Committee Report (including appeals/reference backs) (iii) Sections of Telecoms & Financial Services Business (b) Conference is divided into half-day sessions. Within each session are sections, i.e.

groupings of motions allocated a defined time for debate.

If the business of any section is completed within the timetable the Conference shall proceed immediately to the next section of business.

If all the business of the final section is completed within the timetable, the Conference shall return to the earliest uncompleted business.

(c) A motion which has been called for debate before the end of a timetabled section is reached, shall be moved, seconded, debated and decided upon, subject to Standing Order No.4. Once a motion is called under this Standing Order no motion to vary the timetable to compensate for time lost by this procedure shall be admissible.

(d) Motions not reached by the close of Conference shall be deemed remitted to the Telecoms and Financial Services Executive for consideration.

3. DOCUMENTS DOCUMENTS (a) No documents, posters or banners shall be circulated, distributed or displayed

within the Conference Hall without the authority of the Standing Orders Committee.

(b) All printed reports and documents which the delegates have been given a reasonable time to consider, will be taken as read.

(c) Documents relating to the debate, may be read out only by permission of the Chairperson.

4. PROCEDURE IN DEBATE DEBATE (a) Every member of the Conference shall be seated, except the person who may be

addressing the Conference. Should the Chairperson rise, no person shall continue standing nor shall any other person rise until the Chair is resumed.

SPEAKERS (b) Every person wishing to speak shall address the Chairperson, and shall at all other times observe silence. No person shall approach the microphone unless invited to do so by the Chairperson. All speeches shall be confined to the subject under discussion.

(c) Motions standing in the name of an Equality Conference must be moved by a delegate nominated by that appropriate body.

(d) All speakers including the mover and seconder of the motion, shall only speak for up to 3 minutes, unless the permission of Conference is obtained to speak longer. In EXCEPTIONAL CIRCUMSTANCES special permission of the Conference may be obtained to speak for a longer period which shall not exceed a further 2 minutes. Attention of delegates is drawn to the fact that these are maximum times.

(e) Neither the Telecoms and Financial Services Executive, Equality Conference Nominated Delegate nor a Branch may second a motion standing in their own

STANDING ORDERS

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name, nor may speak more than once on a motion subject to the provisions of Standing Orders 4(f), (g) and (h).

(f) No person shall be allowed to speak twice on the same motion except the mover, who shall have the right of reply to the debate only if there has been opposition.

(g) The Telecoms and Financial Services Executive shall be allowed a maximum of two speakers in debate on motions standing in the name of a Branch.

(h) The Telecoms and Financial Services Executive shall, in addition to moving and exercising the right of reply, be allowed a maximum of one speaker in a debate on motions standing in the name of the Telecoms and Financial Services Executive.

(i) Nobody, except the mover, shall speak on a motion until it has been seconded. The mover of a motion who sits down without speaking on it shall lose the right of addressing Conference, but shall still have the right of reply. The seconder of a motion, who sits down without speaking on it, shall not lose the right of addressing the Conference. During the right of reply, the mover of a motion shall not introduce any new issues but shall be limited strictly to answering issues raised in the debate.

ENDING DEBATE

(j) Any delegate who has not spoken in the debate may, when called to the rostrum, move: “That the motion now be put”, if seconded the Chairperson shall, without discussion, immediately put this motion to the vote. If carried, Conference shall proceed to vote on the motion itself, subject to the right of reply as stated in Standing Order No.4 being exercised first.

(k)

Any delegate who has not spoken in the debate may, when called to the rostrum move: “That the Conference proceed to next business” if seconded the Chairperson shall, without discussion, immediately put this motion to the vote. If carried Conference shall at once proceed to next item on its agenda.

(l) A motion shall not be deemed to be before Conference unless it has been moved and seconded.

POINT OF ORDER

(m) Any person wishing to question the proceedings of Conference may rise on a “point of order”, and when called shall state the procedural point in exact terms, whereupon the Chairperson shall immediately give a ruling or refer the matter to the Standing Orders Committee for a decision. Any person raising points of order must seek to prove one or more of the following:-

(i) That the speaker is using un-parliamentary language. (ii) That the speaker is digressing from the subject of the motion. (iii) That the rules of the Union are being broken. (iv) That there is an infringement of the customary rules of debate. (v) That there is an infringement of the Standing Orders (which shall be referred

to the Standing Orders Committee).

(n) The Chairperson’s ruling on a point of order shall be final unless it is challenged. The correct method of challenging the ruling shall be to move: “I wish to challenge your ruling.” Such a motion shall be carried by a simple majority.

IN CAMERA (o) Debates “In Camera” which have not previously been notified in the Agenda can be requested by a delegate or the Telecoms and Financial Services Executive prior to the commencement of the debate. Such a request shall be put to the vote by the Chairperson. If carried by simple majority, those in the hall who are not members or employees of the CWU shall be required to leave for the duration of the debate.

5. VOTING PROCEDURE VOTING PROCEDURES

(a) Voting on any matter before the Telecoms & Financial Services Conference requiring a decision shall be by a show of hands, or if the Chairperson so decides, by a card vote. On the announcement of the decision of the vote by a show of hands, if a demand for a card vote is made, and at least sixteen (16) delegates are standing in their places when the call is made, a card vote shall be taken.

STANDING ORDERS

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(b) No person shall enter or leave the floor of Conference during a card vote.

(c) All card votes shall be conducted by the Standing Orders Committee.

CARD VOTE (d) Procedure for a card vote shall be as follows. A delegate of each Branch shall be

required to place in a ballot box a card indicating the effective voting membership of the Branch for, against or abstention on the motion requiring the decision. Once the Standing Orders Committee have announced the conclusion of the card vote, no further voting cards shall be included in the count.

(e) On completion of the card vote the General Secretary shall arrange for the counting of the votes. A circular will be issued to each delegate attending Conference recording the vote of each Branch and the result of the ballot.

(f) When the motion being voted upon has a consequential effect, Conference will proceed to the next item of business unaffected by the result of the card vote.

(g) When the card vote result is announced Conference will return to the earlier item provided it is within the timetable.

6. ADMISSION TO AGENDA OF MOTION ON GROUNDS OF URGENCY AND WHICH REQUIRE A DECISION OF CONFERENCE

EMERGENCY MOTIONS

(a) Any request for the inclusion in the agenda of motions on the grounds of urgency must be submitted to the Standing Orders Committee, to arrive at CWU HQ by post, or email to conferences@cwu.org by midnight, Monday 10th April 2017. Motions submitted on the grounds of urgency which, because of the circumstances giving rise to them could not possibly have been submitted by 10th April 2017 must be submitted to the Standing Orders Committee as soon as possible.

(b) Motions admitted to the agenda under the provisions of Standing Order No. 6 (a) shall be known as Emergency Motions.

(c)

Decisions of the SOC not to admit Emergency Motions to the agenda are subject to Standing Order No.7 (b). Such challenges can only be heard during sessions of the Telecoms & Financial Services Conference.

(d) A decision taken by Conference shall not be open to the Emergency Procedure at the same Conference.

7. REFERENCE BACK PROCEDURE (a) References Back for Motions, on their order, categorisation and consequentials, and

those ruled out of order, will only be dealt with at the beginning of the Telecoms & Financial Services Conference.

(b) Branches must give the Standing Orders Committee written notice of their intention to move reference back to alter the published agenda with details and reasons for doing so. Such written notice must be received at CWU HQ by post, or email to conferences@cwu.org by midnight, Monday 10th April 2017.

If after consideration, the SOC continue to reject the reference back, the motion sponsor will then be required to meet the Standing Orders Committee at 3:00 p.m. on Saturday 22rd April 2017 to further appeal.

Only delegates who follow this procedure will be entitled to seek to move reference back when Conference is asked to approve the Standing Orders and agendas in accordance with Standing Order No.7 (a).

Whether a reference back is heard will be dependent upon time allocation acceptable to the Chairperson and Conference. If a delegate is called to move reference back they will be required to produce a credential card supplied by the Standing Orders Committee certifying that the procedures set out in this Standing

STANDING ORDERS

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Order have been observed. The Telecoms and Financial Services Executive will also be required to follow this procedure.

(c) Challenges to any other Standing Orders Committee decisions, outwith the

published agenda, shall only be heard at the discretion of the Chairperson and after all branches who have fulfilled the criteria under 7(b) have had the opportunity to be heard.

8. SUSPENSION OF STANDING ORDERS (a) Motions to suspend Standing Orders shall only be allowed to deal with business or

circumstances that could not have been foreseen when the Timetable/Programme of Business was adopted.

(b) The Chairperson may accept a motion for the suspension of Standing Orders provided no motion is on the floor being debated. Any such motion must state the Standing Order/Orders involved and also state the nature and urgency of the business as to why the suspension is required. The Chairperson shall immediately refer such a motion to the Standing Orders Committee who shall express their view before the vote is taken. A motion for the suspension of Standing Orders will be carried if supported by a simple majority of the Conference.

(c) At the end of the period of suspension of Standing Orders, the Conference shall return to the published timetable. No subsequent motion for the variation of the timetable to compensate for time lost by the suspension of a Standing Order/Orders or the discussion of such suspension shall be admissible.

9. SOC REPORTS (a) In accordance with Rule 10.6.6.i, the Telecoms and Financial Services Executive will

indicate, in an SOC document published prior to Conference, their position on motions including those motions they are prepared to accept. If this is agreed by Conference when the SOC report is adopted, those motions accepted will not be debated and will be deemed to be carried and any consequential rulings applied accordingly.

(b) The acceptance of motions under the terms of this Standing Order shall not take priority over consequential rulings.

(c) Branches may register opposition to the acceptance of motions, other than those standing in their own name, by advising the Standing Orders Committee prior to the Standing Orders Committee Report being moved at the commencement of Conference. The Branch(s) registering opposition to the T&FSE acceptance, shall be published in the relevant supplementary SOC Report.

(d) The Telecoms and Financial Services Executive is not entitled to accept motions standing in their own name.

(e) The position of the Telecoms and Financial Services Executive on Emergency Motions and any changes to the published agenda will be contained in Supplementary SOC reports which will be moved and adopted. Challenges to decisions in Supplementary SOC reports must be made at that time.

10. WITHDRAWALS PROCEDURE Any motion or composite motion may be withdrawn from the Agenda at any time

by the sponsor(s) who will notify the Chairperson of the Standing Orders Committee at the earliest opportunity. Once it has been moved and seconded, it cannot be withdrawn except with the agreement of Conference by a simple majority vote.

STANDING ORDERS

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11. PROHIBITIONS The use of mobile phones or devices (Smartphones, Tablets and Laptops)

must be switched off or set to Silent, while in the confines of the Conference Hall. During “in Camera debates” recording and or reporting of these debates shall be strictly prohibited. No documents, posters or banners shall be circulated, distributed or displayed within the Conference Hall without the permission of the Standing Orders Committee.

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TELECOMS AND FINANCIAL

SERVICES CONFERENCE

TREGONWELL HALL

BOURNEMOUTH INTERNATIONAL CENTRE

CHAIR: BERYL SHEPHERD

STANDING ORDERS COMMITTEE:

JOYCE STEVENSON (CHAIR) ROB ALLDRITT CRAIG ANDERSON LAWRENCE HUSTON DAVE MITCHELL JOANNE SHAFTOE PHIL THOMAS

SECTION 1

Tuesday (09.40 – 10.40)

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1 CATEGORY A: Following the collapse of the £10.3 billion bid by

Hutchinson to takeover O2 and three years of uncertainty it is widely reported that Telefonica will move towards a stock market flotation of its British arm O2. It is speculated that a listing of O2 may bring more control and ultimate stability for the company, however the detail and timing of the flotation is still unknown and is subject to a decision by Telefonica Group. More importantly the impact on the employees is unclear.

The TFSE is therefore instructed to ensure that job security of all CWU grades is a major priority in any future plans of O2 and that the employees are put at the very heart of the decision making process. In the event of any reorganisation the TFSE is further instructed to oppose by all means possible any compulsory redundancies and work with O2 to ensure that suitable alternative roles are identified including re skilling and training of our members.

TFS Executive

2 CATEGORY A: Conference is concerned that despite reassurance’s from

the Capita O2 Partnership that they would hold meaningful talks with the T&FSE over the current Capita O2 Absence Policy, nothing has yet happened, with all

requests by our national team being either ignored or rejected. The T&FSE needs to be more forceful in its requests for opening and conducting a dialogue with Capita that will enable both sides to agree a sensible and meaningful process for dealing with Long-term Absence and Underlying health conditions within the Capita O2 Partnership. The T&FSE are instructed to negotiate changes in the current policy to include: As per the ACAS codes of Practice, a. An informal warning stage of the process. b. To ensure that a fair and equitable process is detailed taking into consideration the Equality Act in relation to individuals with disabilities and those suffering from long term sickness.

Conference would expect these negotiations to commence immediately following the close of this conference, so that our members do not continue to suffer a detriment because of the current stringent and repressive approach by Capita. It would be hoped that in doing so, the T&FSE are able to successfully negotiate changes that will put an end to the current stringent approach taken by management which is totally punitive and disproportionately affects members with disabilities and long term illness.

West Yorkshire

SECTION 1

Tuesday (09.40 – 10.40)

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3 CATEGORY A: Conference is concerned that new starters within the Capita

O2 Partnership do not receive a meaningful salary for the work that they do alongside many of their colleagues who are on a much higher wage and whom started on a higher basic salary then themselves. New starters within the Capita O2 Partnership currently receive £7.37 an hour whilst on probation. This then increases to £7.67 upon successful completion of their probation.

Conference should be aware of the current National Minimum wage rates. Current rates

Year 25 and

over 21 to

24 18 to

20 Under

18 Apprentice

October 2016 (current rate)

£7.20 £6.95 £5.55 £4.00 £3.40

April 2017 £7.50 £7.05 £5.60 £4.05 £3.50

These rates are for the National Living Wage and the National Minimum Wage and the rates change every April. Conference is asked to instruct the T&FSE to make representation to Capita for an increase to our young member’s wages and that Capita recognises the hard work and skills that these young members bring to the business. It is only right and fair that that they receive remuneration that is reflective upon the work that they do, which mirrors the work of higher paid employees around them who are doing the same work. By doing so, they can then enjoy a better work life balance.

It would be expected that talks commence upon completion of the current general population pay talks between the T&FSE and the Capita O2 partnership.

West Yorkshire

4 CATEGORY A: This conference notes the importance of recruiting new

members. Previously, in Capita, we have been able to have access to new starters during their induction training to introduce and promote the CWU. This has been stopped by Capita on all contracts and is not in the spirit of a good working relationship. The T&FSE is instructed to urgently press Capita to allow reasonable access to new starters on all Capita sites and client bases.

Preston Brook Bury and 02 Retail

5 CATEGORY A: Conference is concerned about the evolving approach being

adopted by many team leaders and managers who are part of the current Capita O2 Partnership agreement. In particular an increasing number of employees are being told that they need to be signed on into their work systems 15 minutes before their actual start time. This is so that if there is a problem with systems

SECTION 1

Tuesday (09.40 – 10.40)

Page 16

when logging in, it will hopefully be resolved before the telephone lines open for customers.

They are only being paid from their official start time. Conference, we believe people should be at their desks at their start time to log onto their systems, and that system issues are not our members fault. We expect people to be paid for any period of time used prior to their official start time.

Conference asks that the T&FSE are instructed to hold meaningful talks with the Capita O2 Partnership to advise Capita that this immoral practice, currently employed by some of the their Managers who expect our members to work for free, stops! It is expected that this commences immediately following the close of this

conference so that this current practice is stopped. West Yorkshire

6 CATEGORY A: This conference notes that as part of Capita’s recruitment

process they perform criminal record checks to ensure the safety of the business and the employees. These checks are currently not being carried out prior to individuals entering the business, only much later on in the contract term, in some cases this can be as long as 5 months later. This is adding risk to the employees, causing additional costs and higher attrition rates. Therefore, the T&FSE is instructed to ensure Capita and their recruitment agents complete these checks before an individual enters the business.

Preston Brook Bury and 02 Retail

7 CATEGORY A: This conference notes that within Capita during formal

meetings, a scribe is present to take handwritten notes. This involves meetings being stopped for the scribe to catch up, and quite often the notes do not show a true reflection of the meeting. The T&FSE, is therefore instructed to begin discussions with Capita with the aim of allowing formal meetings to be recorded as standard.

Preston Brook Bury and 02 Retail

SECTION 2

Tuesday (10.40 – 11.05)

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8 CATEGORY A: This Conference notes that attrition rates in Santander UK

Retail Contact Centres have risen during the last 18 months to over 40% per year and that management has stated the reasons for this are: Low pay; and the flexibility required of their shift arrangements which require a span time of 7am to 9pm seven days a week with only 5 weeks visibility of rosters. Despite Santander raising the minimum starting salary to the level of the Living Wage, they still pay considerably less than comparable contact centre jobs in

their locality, and it is now noticeable that on many occasions those accepting jobs are not even turning up for the induction programme. Conference instructs the TFSE to immediately enter into discussions with Santander UK with the aim of: significantly increasing the starting salary for Retail Contact Centre staff

ensuring the pay progression arrangements are fit for purpose. longer visibility of Rosters together with a measure of choice as to the

attendance patterns to be worked TFS Executive

9 CATEGORY A: This Conference instructs the TFSE to enter into discussions

with Santander UK to ensure that the “Mid-Point” of all salary ranges is actually the arithmetic mid-point, rather than an arbitrary figure as used for the lower salary scales as a way of negating the agreed pay progression scheme.

Bootle Financial Services

10 CATEGORY A: This conference notes that Santander UK consult with the

CWU whenever they wish to propose changes to existing HR policies. The TFSE is instructed to negotiate so that the CWU has an equal opportunity to propose

changes whenever a document is reviewed.

Bootle Financial Services

SECTION 3

Tuesday (11.05 – 11.30)

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11 CATEGORY A: At last years’ conference Motion 37 was carried that

instructed the TFSE to negotiate with BTFS harmonisation of all terms and conditions including those related to sick absence, sick pay, discipline and BT Passports. While some of this work has been completed in relation to discipline process and BT Passports due to the myriad of differing terms and conditions and the scale of the work involved the TFSE has agreed to prioritise in specific areas as follows;

Overtime Annual leave Sick pay Maternity/Paternity leave

At a recent meeting with BTFS they confirmed that they would be prepared to review these areas and prepare proposals to submit to the CWU.

The TFSE is therefore instructed to review these specific terms of employment with the aim of standardising terms within BTFS.

TFS Executive

12 CATEGORY A: This conference instructs the T&FSE to review and seek

agreement for the training and procedures used for recent change to working practices which now include the removal and disposal of low level asbestos material by BTFS staff. This conference believes the long-term health of our members in BTFS may be compromised and believe we need to ensure that our members health, safety

and welfare is protected by the timely provision of adequate, substantial training and agreements on the handling and removal of asbestos material. Until this agreement is reach the CWU should advise all BTFS staff not to handle any material that may contain asbestos.

Scotland No.1

13 CATEGORY A: The TFSE is instructed to undertake a full review into the

BTFS pension arrangements with the aim of allowing them to join the BTRSS.

TFS Executive

SECTION 4

Tuesday (11.30 – 12.45)

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14 CATEGORY A: Conference recognises the progress BT Fleet has made in

securing work and contracts that will in turn secure the long term employment of our members. We now look to BT Fleet to turn its attention to our members and the environments in which they work. Workshops are old, dirty and cold: unlike those of the employees in the dealerships work in, whom our members are so often measured against. Conference therefore instructs the T&FSE to liaise with BT Fleet to undertake joint, site by site visits: looking at the state and conditions of all the BT Fleet workshops, including welfare facilities, with a view to upgrading them to a standard that both CWU and BT Fleet agree is acceptable.

Greater Merseyside and SW Lancs Amal

15 CATEGORY A: Due to the increase in Saturday attendances within BT

Openreach Service Delivery, there is now a lack of duty of care as well as general support for our members on Saturdays. Conference therefore instructs the T&FSE to negotiate with Openreach Service Delivery at the earliest opportunity with a view to ensuring that a duty of care and managerial support be provided in each SOM patch over the full working week including Saturdays.

Somerset, Devon and Cornwall

16 CATEGORY A: Late attendances, weekend working and site

rationalization have introduced additional safety risks for members in BT Consumer. Engineers working at night can call on safety assists and are protected by the Duty Of Care system; yet BT Consumer staff are expected to walk alone through areas designated two-person for Openreach engineers. There is a clear disparity for staff welfare shown between these lines of business. The T&FSE is

instructed to negotiate with BT for the introduction of a duty of care system, to be available to all BT Consumer staff on request.

South Wales

17 CATEGORY A: Conference instructs the incoming T&FSE, on close of

conference, to engage BT Group in meaningful conversation and ultimately agree new principles regarding the company’s policies in relation to First Aid. The policy should cover:

Guarantees to make training readily available for those wanting to undertake it.

A minimum number qualified, at any one time, per LOB per area. Refresher and continuous training. A workable process for people working in the external network, which

would give them access a first aider. .

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Tuesday (11.30 – 12.45)

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An agreed standard approach for when someone hurts themselves,

regardless of when and where they work. This list is not exhaustive.

Greater Merseyside and SW Lancs Amal

18 CATEGORY A: Conference is concerned at the failure of BT Openreach

to practice a process that ensures that our members are safe when working is high risk areas. Currently the information is not always passed to the engineer when the job is allocated and on arrival at site the member may have a long wait for the support to arrive.

Conference instructs the tfse to negotiate a process with Openreach work allocation and service delivery that ensures that members are not working unsafely due to the allocation of work and lack of coordination to ensure quick access to support in high risk areas.

Coventry

19 CATEGORY A: Conference instructs the T&FS executive to enter in to

discussions with BT on the current BTFS non-compliance and incorrect working practices of their control and management. BTFS helpdesk are not logging BT property issues or building faults emailed to them.

In addition, the T&FS executive are to seek clarification of why jobs are closed off by Facility Managers as being completed (for statistical targets) but no work undertaken and with no covering notes. Furthermore, this Conference instructs T&FS executive to work with Regional USR’s and BT to bring BTFS Management to account for their failure to provide adequate, arrangements, procedures and controls to risks to Health and Safety arising from BT Properties.

Midland No.1

20 CATEGORY A: Following recent storm damage to a BT exchange,

concern has been raised over asbestos management within BT. The HMIS shows that many buildings have not been inspected for several years, despite there being a legal obligation to inspect “at least every six to twelve months” [HSE] and to keep records up to date. Conference instructs the T&FSE to urge the reinstatement of the BT/CWU

Asbestos Forum to ensure that asbestos within the BT Estate is managed to the Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012.

Greater Merseyside and SW Lancs Amal

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Tuesday (11.30 – 12.45)

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21 CATEGORY A: Conference instructs the T&FS to enter into discussions

with BT Group to provide additional finances/budget for BTFS to increase resource and to invest in member’s workplaces outside of the Centres of Excellence.

Midland No.1

22 CATEGORY A: Conference is concerned with the wording of ISIS

documents relating to use of elevating platforms. Clauses emphasizing cost implications of platform use are being used by management to discourage their use. The T&FSE is instructed to negotiate with BT for the removal of cost considerations from the ISIS documents, and to commence an awareness campaign to promote the use of elevating platforms as the first choice for accessing telegraph poles.

South Wales

SECTION 5

Tuesday (14.00 – 14.10)

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23 CATEGORY A: Conference deplores the way the performance management

based pay system has been applied in BTMSL. As members Pay and Bonus increases are based on their PM score, members feel that the application of the scoring is biased towards senior manager’s % targets for teams. The result is members have no faith in the system as their scores do not reflect their contribution to the company, with their pay and bonus subject to forced distribution and the whim of a manager’s opinion. Conference thereby instructs the T&FS executive to enter into discussions with BTMSL to make sure that the company’s latest version of PM is fair and to remove the pay related link to PM bringing them into line with the rest of BT.

Central Counties and Thames Valley

SECTION 6

Tuesday (14.10 – 15.10)

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24 CATEGORY A: There is growing fear amongst our members in BT that

employees with disability are not finding BT a supportive employer despite it being signed up to the Government's Disability Confident Scheme. Conference shares those concerns based on the way in which members with existing disabilities are being treated. There has been an increase in the number of our members who find themselves moved to the Adjusted Job Search process without any change to their condition. Furthermore, we have also observed a more hard-line approach to those who have had an absence from work for disability related reasons where management subsequently do not take their underlying condition into consideration. This unsupportive approach is often seen when such members are being managed under the Performance Management Process.

Whilst BT puts great emphasis in raising disability awareness and also in encouraging precautionary measures to reduce the effects of disability in the workplace it falls short in supporting and valuing the contribution our members with disability bring. BT needs to actively remove barriers which prevent employees with disability making a full contribution at work and give them peace of mind that their needs are properly understood. Conference therefore instructs the TFSE to agree a new set of principles that offer real protection to those BT employees with disability and firmly live the values of the Disability Confident Scheme.

Lincolnshire and South Yorks

25 CATEGORY A: Conference is concerned at the ongoing focus on

members in the workplace with disabilities / illness / or personal problems. Conference recognises the current failure of managers to take these issues into consideration when managing people and adding to their stress and aggravating their health condition though lack of support, disciplinary action and failure to make reasonable adjustments. Conference instructs the tfse to enter into talks with BT to focus and end this behaviour by managers in order to ensure that BT complies with the equality act and treats employees as human beings not statistics.

Coventry

26 CATEGORY A: Conference notes the change to the questions asked at a

BT OHS appointment in that the company no longer asks if an individual’s condition may qualify them for the provisions afforded by the Equality Act.

BT state that they make work adjustments required to all of its employees as they require in line with the legislation. However if an employee is unaware that they are entitled to “Reasonable Adjustments” because a discussion on the Equality

SECTION 6

Tuesday (14.10 – 15.10)

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Act no longer forms part of the process, they could suffer a detriment as no provision will be made. This is likely to impact on attendance and or performance. Therefore, Conference instructs the TFSE and the Officer concerned to approach BT to get the question of an employees Disability status in regard to the Equality Act reinstated as a standard question in all of its OHS assessments.

Birmingham, Black Country and Worcester

27 CATEGORY A: Increasing BAME Membership within the CWU

• Conference acknowledges the excellent progress in relation to the membership

systems and our ability to accurately analyse membership data in the various strands. Obviously this is work in progress as members prior to the changes will

not have had the opportunity to self-determine their strand as they do now. • This motion sets out to maximise BAME membership within the CWU. From an

organising point of view it is essential that we organise and recruit within our core areas. The CWU must continue to be relevant to its BAME members and to be able to reach out to BAME non-members.

• Conference instructs the TFSE, in conjunction with the RAC, to organise a

program where it shall seek to increase BAME membership within the CWU. This program will also seek to communicate with existing members so that BAME members who have not declared their ethnicity are encouraged to do so via various communications. Broader BAME recruitment will be subject to input and assistance from our senior Organisers.

Black Worker’s Conference

28 CATEGORY A: Conference recognises the importance to value and retain

women in the workplace. Despite fighting inequality in many forms, women in the main continue to shoulder the lions share of external caring responsibilities creating additional pressures.

The current demand of BT to extend attendance working spans, most recently under the BT Consumer: Customer Care Transformation, has created restricted flexibility and a lack of a supportive approach to enable women to carry out what is often a dual role. This has resulted in many women being faced with the prospect of reducing their working hours, creating financial hardship, or making the ultimate

decision of leaving BT. Conference believes being faced with such prescriptive dilemmas is fundamentally wrong and any barriers in place must be removed to allow for a diverse workforce sharing skills and expertise. Conference instructs the T&FSE, in conjunction with the WAC, to investigate and collate the number of leavers over the past 12 months throughout BT Consumer along with the gender breakdown and age profile of these individuals. The results should form a report to the 2017 Women’s Conference outlining its findings and listing any recommendations it sees fit to administer.

Women’s Conference

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Tuesday (14.10 – 15.10)

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29 CATEGORY A: Conference is concerned about the possible implications for

attendance requirements in BT Contact Centres for women workers who are often faced with the responsibility of care for their children or other relatives. Therefore, Conference instructs then Executive and Officers to approach BT with a view to investigate the gender split in each location, on full and part time workers, joiners and leavers. If this does indicate that women are not joining BT or remaining with BT, then the union and the employer should jointly seek measures to counter this.

Birmingham, Black Country and Worcester

30 CATEGORY C: Conference recognises the work undertaken by the

Telecom & Financial Services Executive in addressing the future needs of the T&FS Constituency. The T&FSE is instructed to continue the Building Tomorrow Together

initiative to ensure the ongoing effectiveness of recruitment and organising in the Telecom & Financial Services sector.

East Midlands

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Tuesday (15.10 – 15.45)

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31 CATEGORY A: COMPOSITE MOTION

After passing motion 1 at last year’s conference which instructed the T&FSE to demand full access to sites and staff at EE, we believe EE management have clearly enacted methods to impede the CWU and communicate an anti – trade union message to staff. Conference believes that now is the time for a more aggressive campaign to achieve this and ultimately gain recognition. Conference instructs the T&FSE with immediate effect to implement a new tactical campaign and assign suitable financial resource to achieve full access to EE sites and staff. The campaign should include –

1. CWU monthly Stalls in the canteen 2. Access to daily briefs and team meetings 3. Access to all induction events for new recruits This list is not exhaustive.

Scotland No.1 Tyne and Wear Clerical

Somerset, Devon and Cornwall

32 CATEGORY A: This conference is concerned that EE has adopted an

increasingly hostile stance towards the CWU, its’ members and workplace reps in recent months. Conference instructs the T&FSE to engage with EE to ensure the rights of our members are respected, particularly:

● the right to union representation in meetings

● the rights of workplace reps to reasonable time off to represent members

● the right of an employee to choose their representative

● the rights of members and workplace reps not to suffer detriment or

harassment because of their membership of or activities on behalf of their

union

This list is not exhaustive.

Tyne and Wear Clerical

33 CATEGORY A: Conference agrees that the current sickness process in EE

is draconian, discriminatory and demeaning.

The process is purely punitive and offers no support to the employee. Furthermore the involvement of attendance managers appears to enforce the harshest of decisions possible and takes away any discretion from the manager. This lack of discretion means that sick pay is being withheld from members inappropriately and as a punitive measure.

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Tuesday (15.10 – 15.45)

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Conference instructs the T&FSE to enter into meaningful negotiations with EE with a view to improving this process for our members.

Somerset, Devon and Cornwall

34 CATEGORY A: Conference notes the difficulties put in the way of CWU

access to EE buildings and the way the EE Employee Reps were used as an excuse to block access. Conference believes it is vital to construct a truly representative employee organisation within EE and instructs the TFSE to give full support to Branches in building self-sustaining sections of CWU members in each EE building as an essential prerequisite to achieving union recognition for EE call centre workers.

South Wales

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Wednesday (09.00 – 09.50)

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35 CATEGORY A: If Carried 36, 37, 39 and 40 Fall

Last year Conference passed motion 86 calling for an end to Performance Management throughout BT. Conference recognises the efforts made to achieve this and the successes achieved so far by the various National Officers and their Teams. However Conference was always aware that this would be a difficult task and a long term goal. To this end Conference calls upon the TFSE to continue its efforts. This must include a campaign involving the TFSE and all BT branches to make sure members are fully aware of our aim. Members and Branches will be

regularly updated. This campaign to begin immediately following 2017 conference. BT must be made aware that our intent to have Performance Management abolished will not be forgotten and that if necessary we will use all means at our disposal, up to and including industrial action, to achieve it. The ending of Performance Management in BT must remain one of the top priorities for the TFSE.

West Yorkshire

36 CATEGORY A: Following the carriage of motion 86 at T&FS conference last

year and the publication of LTB 401/16 on 4 July 2016 we note that within

Openreach Service Delivery the company have “agreed to reset the performance

management measures at a team level and there will be no individual targets going

forward.”

Conference is however concerned that since the union’s agreement with Openreach

Service Delivery to move towards a team based approach to performance

management, management have started to use individual “behaviours” as a

replacement for the individual measures that the company agreed it would stop

using.

We note that at the deadline for submission of motions to T&FS conference this year

the T&FS Executive and Openreach National Team were still negotiating with the

company on new transformed approaches to PM in both BT and Openreach Service

Delivery.

Conference instructs the T&FS Executive that any new performance management

measures and procedures agreed with the company will not include:

1. Jobs per day. 2. A behavioural approach. 3. Individual measures.

4. Arbitrary targets. 5. Forced distribution of performance ratings and league tables. 6. A statistical driven approach. 7. Management bullying and harassment. 8. Surveillance of staff. 9. Gaming the system to “look good” by avoiding work and doing poor quality

work. 10. Performance penalties for agreed “furthering” of jobs. 11. Performance reviews that do not focus on the “how” to improve

performance. Greater London Combined

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Wednesday (09.00 – 09.50)

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37 CATEGORY A: Conference is becoming increasingly concerned about the

way performance is being managed in BT Consumer and notes that performance

cases in BT Consumer are far higher proportionally than anywhere else in the company. Members see the performance process as punitive rather than supportive and it is noted that although behaviours are supposed to be the key element in performance management, it is stats and quintiles that are the driver for members to be put on informal performance plans. Once on a plan our members feel they are micro-managed and subjected to unrealistic aims and targets and behaviours are often deemed as poor and linked to stats without any

evidence to support such a link. There is a lack of consistency in coaching and managers are often unable to demonstrate what good behaviours look like. Members who are unfortunate enough to be on the new joiner process often go straight to a final formal warning and this leads many to feel they have no future with the company. The T&FSE is instructed to raise this issue with BT Consumer as a matter of urgency with a view to changing the way performance is managed and moving away from this punitive and unhelpful style of performance management.

Somerset, Devon and Cornwall

38 CATEGORY A: Conference is concerned by the stress and fear caused by

the management of the Call Observation Code of Practice within Ventures Voice Services (VVS). The move from sampling 1 session of 10 calls to 2 sessions of 5 calls per month has added to the stress and anxiety felt by advisors. Conference instructs the T&FSE to enter negotiations with VVS with a view to changing the Quality Sampling part of the Code of Practice away from the stress and fear culture and to a more supportive and less fearful management of the

process. Scotland No.1

39 CATEGORY A: Conference instructs the T&FSE to ensure that in BT

Consumer when an employee has successfully completed either a formal or

informal coaching plan/PIP and their performance dips again that the correct procedure is to implement another coaching plan/PIP before triggering a meeting to consider disciplinary action.

Tyne and Wear Clerical

40 CATEGORY A: Conference notes the continuing problems experienced by

members in areas of Openreach such as COE,s and Service Enablement where statistics are being miss interpreted and managers focus on statistics rather than looking at the reality of the work involved. Conference instructs the tfse to raise these issues with management with a view to ending the ongoing inappropriate approach that leaves our members feeling vulnerable and stressed. Failure to end

this approach must be met with action from the union. Coventry

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Wednesday (09.50 – 10.40)

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41 CATEGORY A: This conference recognises that the Poor attendance/sick

process within the BT Group of companies is at present disjointed and as such the

thresholds in which members can expect a formal hearing, differs greatly. Therefore, conference instructs the TFSE to negotiate and achieve an acceptable, standardised process for the poor attendance/sick process throughout the BT Group companies. Once agreed, BT must make the process easily accessible to all employees.

Negotiations should include the provision of written evidence of any poor attendance conversations, signed by both the employee and the manager, and must be given as part of any IFW/FFW discipline pack.

South East Central

42 CATEGORY A: Conference recognises that a line Managers role is to

support and assist their people with regard to their health and well being and manage them within the procedures both fairly and consistently. It appears however that Managers are not able to exercise their discretion when it comes to the wording of sick absence contact letters, specifically the one sent by the second line Manager, known as the “Tier 2 review” letter. This letter takes no cognisance of the circumstances and reason for why the person is absent from the workplace and the wording can and does add to the distress of people and their families who may already be going through a very tough time. Conference therefore instructs the incoming T&FSE to open up discussions with

BT to change the wording in the letter to reflect one of BT’s 3 shared values, Personal, which states to come across as human beings and show we understand and care.

North East

43 CATEGORY A: Conference calls upon the T&FSE to liaise with the DAC to

raise the issue of adopting a disability related sick leave policy with BT and report back to all branches by the end of DEC 2017

Disability Conference

44 CATEGORY A: Conference is alarmed with recent change of approach

with regard to the Attendance Process where members are now being called to hearings when they have not reached the threshold for the Bradford Factor Trigger of 100, which was increased from 80 to 100 in 2011. It is our experience that Line Managers previously were only prompted to review a member's attendance history once the threshold was reached, however it is now noticeable that interviews regularly take place when the trigger of 100 has not been reached.

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Wednesday (09.50 -10.40)

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This hard line approach is not acceptable. Conference therefore instructs the TFSE to challenge BT on the application of the policy with regards to absence management, with the aim of ensuring a return to the threshold of 100 being the norm.

Lincolnshire and South Yorks

45 CATEGORY A: While conference welcomes assurances made to the CWU

at the Openreach Briefing Committee on the 17th November 2016 by the Director of National Operations in Openreach, regarding members suffering from health issues, conference still remains concerned as to how our members are treated when they have to take time off sick. While not exclusively, this has been a particular issue in the former NOTV division where the treatment has fallen far short of what should be expected in terms of fairness and support for individuals, many who may fall under the new joiner’s policy. Conference has noted that a lack of direction has grown in parts of Openreach regarding expected standards and understanding from management. This confusion in standards and proper support for those who fall ill has become evident by things like the apparent abandonment of the Bradford factor and Initial formal warning / final formal warnings being operating like a system of

tariff rather than discretion being used on the back of a balanced rationale. As we see the merger of Network Operations and Service Delivery conference is keen that any poor policies or bad practices are not carried through into the new organisation and that a clear policy exists right across the whole of Openreach in line with the policies of the BT group. This conference therefore instructs the T&FSE to re affirm with Openreach a clear set of principles that all managers should be adhering to when dealing with absence cases. Ensuring that cases are dealt with fairly and compassionately. Amongst the issues to be reaffirmed should be the following:- The Bradford Factor as the measure used to identify absence levels which

may need attention. A Bradford Factor score of 100 is the threshold for any

discussion on attendance. Any discussion before score of 100 is reach would be exceptional and only take place with a well-documented rationale.

Any discussion triggered by the Bradford factor does not require the Line

Manager to take any particular form of action other than to consider the overall circumstances. Each case should be taken on merit and by no means be a trigger for formal action to be taken such as issuing an IFW or FFW.

When dealing with new joiners, managers should focus on providing support

if there are issues with their absence levels. A Final Formal Warning should not be the only formal option available to the manager. Depending on the individual circumstance a lesser sanction may be appropriate or indeed further support.

A formal case should only be used if the individual has not sustained reasonable attendance. “Reasonable should take into account their absence history and personal circumstances”.

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Wednesday (09.50 – 10.40 )

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While regular contact needs to be maintained there should be no

requirement for members to keep mobile phones switched on. Regular contact should not be more frequent than on a weekly basis. For those on long term sick this should normally be mutually arranged with no undue pressure for individuals to accept home visits.

South London, Surrey and North Hampshire

46 CATEGORY A: Conference is concerned that BT Consumer has been

operating outside Group policy in terms of sick absence management including the operation of the Bradford Factor, the use of part day absence and the reporting of sick absence. Conference welcomes the guidance from BT Consumer contained in LTB 102/2017 and instructs the TFSE to monitor its implementation to ensure that BT Consumer abides by Group policy. If BT Consumer fail to abide by Group policy the T&FS Executive will in conjunction with Branches, react accordingly.

TFS Executive

SECTION 10

Wednesday (10.40 – 11.30)

Page 33

47 CATEGORY A: COMPOSITE MOTION If Carried 52 Falls

Conference instructs the T&FS Executive to open discussions with BT to seek to improve the terms and conditions of those employees who are on Workforce 2020 contracts. Should BT refuse to positively engage in meaningful discussions with the CWU, then the T&FS Executive is instructed to launch a workplace campaign involving all CWU NewGRID Team Members with the goal of reducing and ultimately eradicating the disparities in terms and conditions that exist between Workforce 2020 NewGRID members and other NewGRID members employed prior to September 2014.

TFS Executive South London, Surrey and North Hampshire

48 CATEGORY A: COMPOSITE MOTION If Carried 52 Falls

Conference is concerned at the contractual requirement for all recruits into Openreach since September 2012 to provide Personal Travel Time in addition to their scheduled attendance. This was introduced despite opposition from the CWU. We continue to learn of abuses by Openreach on the application of Personal Travel Time with respect to attendance, flex and overtime. Therefore Conference instructs the incoming T&FSE to immediately open

discussions with Openreach to remove from existing and future contracts this unfair contractual obligation to give Personal Travel Time.

TFS Executive Great Western

49 CATEGORY A: That this conference believes that management delays in

certain 2020 job assessments are causing serious disquiet among CWU members. This conference therefor instructs the incoming T&FS to identify jobs and work streams which require assessment and processing to a fair and reasonable conclusion, this has to be done as a matter of urgency.

Scotland No.1

50 CATEGORY A: This Conference instructs the incoming T&FS Executive to

begin a campaign in pursuance of the principles set out within proposition 63 from the Coventry branch carried at T&FS Conference 2015. Namely that, all BT non-management roles should be based on a 36hr working week.

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Wednesday (10.40 – 11.30)

Page 34

In pursuance of the policy set out above the T&FS Executive should as soon as possible after the close of this Conference draw up a campaign that will culminate in individuals employed on the 2020 contract being employed on a 36hr working week by 2020. A road map, detailing how a reduction can be achieved, either through phasing or in totality, will be set out and governed by the Executive. Should an agreement with BT, on the reduction in the working week, from the current 37.5hrs to 36hrs within the timescales set out above not be achieved, the T&FS Executive will at any time within that timescale, set in motion preparations for an Industrial Action ballot.

South Yorkshire

51 CATEGORY A: Conference welcomes agreements reached for pay rises

for NO and SD WF2020 engineers taking on CSE Skills, however we recognize the frustration of similarly hardworking engineers in other business units without pay progression opportunities. The T&FSE is instructed to negotiate with BT to introduce similar progression pathways for all WF2020 engineers or make available opportunities to transfer to business units where this exists.

South Wales

52 CATEGORY A: Conference notes the ongoing confusion that exists for

members employed on the new contacts in BT Openreach. Conference recognises that various changes have been introduced that create difficulty for members to monitor and understand their pay and grading terms and conditions,

Conference instructs the tfse to enter into discussion with BT to end the confusion by simplifying changes and bringing the pay and conditions into line with those carrying out the same role on B2 pay and hours, in the interim BT must provide written details of pay and conditions including details such as travel times etc. to all employed on the new contracts.

Coventry

SECTION 11

Wednesday (14.00 – 14.35)

Page 35

53 CATEGORY A: COMPOSITE MOTION

This conference recognises that consultation in parts of BT Business and Public Sector, particularly those units formally in BT Business, is completely inadequate. There is a failure to mirror the information provided to the CWU and the level of engagement which takes place in other BT Lines of Business. This results in both management and the union’s time being wasted trying to rectify these shortcomings. This situation continues to exist despite the efforts of the NT to find a resolution and the acceptance by some managers that it is unsatisfactory. The T&FS Executive is therefore instructed to implement the following actions immediately following conference;

To seek a meeting with the HR Director and the Senior Employee

Relations manager for B&PS, to identify the barriers to consultation with the aim of removing them. Following on from this meeting, further discussions will require the involvement of senior operations management.

In the event that the above action fails to address this issue, this conference recognise that the T&FSE will have no other option than to launch a campaign among the membership that highlights the issues and clearly identifies where the blame lies for the abysmal failure to consult with the union appropriately.

The campaign will use the full range of options open to us to expose and combat management’s failure to consult.

To demand reasonable enagement at all levels of B&PS management and all levels of the CWU.

TFS Executive

Scotland No1

54 CATEGORY A: This Conference instructs the T&FSE to investigate the

effects on Equality issues by creating ‘Centres of Excellence’ or similar sites in BT.

The consequence of this policy is to move work away from locations that then leave people stranded and also large geographical areas lacking opportunity for future potential workers.

TFS Executive

55 CATEGORY A: Conference instructs the T&FSE to challenge BT on its lack

of consultation in relation to changes in work types, movement of work, re location of work and site closures. The CWU should be consulted at all stages and prior notice should be given, with a realistic time frame, prior to any announcements being made which affect our members.

Lancs and Cumbria

SECTION 11

Wednesday (14.00 – 14.35)

Page 36

56 CATEGORY C: Conference recognises that people in the BTTC and AJS

programme should have access to all job opportunities within BT. It appears,

however that Retained Sites, set up during the Working Together programme do not have equal status with Centres of Excellence resulting in job opportunities being missed. Conference therefore instructs the incoming T&FSE to reaffirm with BT that Retained Sites have the same status as Centres of Excellence thereby maximising all job opportunities for our members.

North East

SECTION 12

Wednesday (14.35 – 15.10)

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57 CATEGORY A: This Conference instructs the T&FSE to negotiate with BT

the removal of the unfair timescale of a six months time limit for members subject

to the Adjusted Job search (AJS) process. TFS Executive

58 CATEGORY A: Conference notes the positive progress that has been

made increasing direct labour jobs and continued agency conversions in BT Consumer. Conference is alarmed that BT Consumer has now started to use Convergys in the UK and Ireland as a third party provider and believes this will undermine the commitment to increase the proportion of UK BT direct labour.

Conference instructs the TFSE to use all means necessary to ensure that BT Consumer abides by the terms of the Transformation Agreement to move to a minimum of 80% direct labour in sales and 90% in service.

TFS Executive

59 CATEGORY A: Conference notes with alarm BT’s recent move to shift BT

Business Mobile Service work into recently acquired EE. Conference instructs the incoming TFSE to negotiate with BT and to seek agreement by November 2017 to halt any further BT work being moved into EE. Should further BT work be migrated into EE after this date then the CWU should resist this by all practical means possible up to and including industrial action.

Mersey

60 CATEGORY A: Conference is concerned at the way the redeployment

process is being used in BT to the detriment of our members and agrees that we require an urgent review. This review should focus on how our members are treated when they find themselves in this position through no fault of their own and on shifting back to supporting members to find new and appropriate work and move the company away from the current punitive climate when people are declared surplus. This should also particularly include the recent trend for members to stay within their business unit rather than moving to the CTC and the blanket enforcement of a change in attendance pattern where no operational benefit can be shown. Conference therefore instructs the T&FSE to engage with

BT to set up such a review as a matter of urgency.

Somerset, Devon and Cornwall

SECTION 13

Wednesday (15.10 – 16.00)

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61 CATEGORY A: COMPOSITE MOTION

The CWU has campaigned for many years regarding the issue for equal treatment on pay for our Manpower members. We have consistently argued that the introduction of Pay Between Assignment Contracts (PBA) have been used to deliberately avoid paying the rates for the role and to artificially keep the pay rates low. While this may not be in breach of the law it is morally wrong and takes

advantage of people who get trapped into low pay. The CWU policy to change the law and eradicate this abuse remains unchanged. At a recent meeting held with Manpower, the CWU raised the issue of low pay rates that exist on the BT contract as there are a number of BT sites where Manpower employee advisors are on the National Living Wage and there are a significant number of sites where Manpower are paying less than the Real Living Wage of £8.45 an hour. This is without doubt a poor position for our members to be in and not acceptable to the CWU. Therefore the TFSE are instructed to mount a campaign to eradicate the low pay rates of our Manpower employees on the BT contract to ensure at a very minimum that they are paid the Real Living Wage and to report back to branches by September 2017.

TFS Executive

Lincolnshire and South Yorks

62 CATEGORY A: Conference instructs the TFSE to oppose by all means

including industrial action any attempts by BT to close the BT Pension Scheme to future service accrual for members.

TFS Executive

63 CATEGORY A: Conference notes BT’s unwillingness to discuss

improvements to the BTRSS and therefore instructs the TFSE to seek improvements in the BT Retirement Saving Scheme including; higher BT contribution levels, company to pay the admin costs, an increase in the minimum company payment, pensionability of allowances, and improved medical retirement benefits.

TFS Executive

64 CATEGORY A: Conference welcomes the increased level of basic pay that

TMNE 2’s in Openreach Service Delivery receive when they are trained on U/G repair and Broadband, but recognises that this has created some frustration among TMNE 2’s in other areas of Openreach – Network Solutions, Infrastructure Delivery, BCD who are, for all intents and purposes, Multi Skilled and carry out activities over and above their original role.

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Wednesday (15.10 – 16.00)

Page 39

Conference therefore instructs the incoming Executive to negotiate a mechanism whereby TMNE 2's in all areas of Openreach who are multi-skilled will be able to receive a similar uplift in their rate of pay when acquiring and utilising additional skills over and above the original role.

Mid Wales the Marches and North Staffs

65 CATEGORY A: Conference instructs the incoming T&FS Executive to enter

into negotiations with BT to remove the bonus element of Workforce 2020 Network Engineering grades and assimilate the equivalent amount into their basic salary. The immediate priority being for those TMNE 2's in Openreach engaged in external engineering roles.

Mid Wales the Marches and North Staffs

66 CATEGORY A: That this conference instructs the TFSE, that the next pay

claim after 2017 affecting all BT/ BT Group employees will not have an element, in any way, of reducing any pensionable pay.

South East Central

SECTION 14

Wednesday (16.00 – 16.35)

Page 40

67 CATEGORY A: This conference instructs the TFSE to negotiate with BT for

the introduction of an MOT Testers Allowance. This allowance is to be paid to BT

Fleet Technicians when undertaking MOT Tests and is to reflect the added responsibility required.

TFS Executive

68 CATEGORY A: Conference welcomes the agreement to the introduction of

the Holiday Uplift Payment (HUP), however once implemented it is become apparent that Night Duty Allowance (NDA) has been omitted from the agreed list of allowances. This means that members who work between the hours of 21.00 – 0600 and normally claim NDA do not get this allowance included in HUP when on Annual

Leave. Conference instructs the T&FSE to go back to BT and get NDA included in the HUP calculation.

Scotland No.1

69 CATEGORY A: Conference recognises the important work done by BT

Wholesale and Ventures Staff working on BT Next Generation Text Relay Service. The Text Relay service enables communication to and from individuals with hearing or speech difficulties. The service was centred in Liverpool but to enable resilience and adequate contingency, and also to improve efficiencies in resource, operators in

other Venture Voice Centres (formerly MVAS/O&DS) sites are being trained on the service and the site in Liverpool is expanding its portfolio to match the other sites with the long term aim harmonising work across all the sites. Conference recognises however that for individuals to work on BT Text Relay they have to meet certain criteria: typing speed and accuracy. Quality of the service is reported to Ofcom and the service is measured against a target of at least 60 words

per minute (with achievement routinely managing speeds averaging over 75wpm in the period October 2015 to September 2016) with accuracy of more than 98%. All staff are capable of handling the main portfolio of work, however only certain skilled individuals are able to additionally work on the Relay and meet the minimum standards required.

Conference believes meeting the criteria should be recognised as a specific specialist skill similar to using a foreign language and this skill needs to be recognised and rewarded. Conference therefore instructs the T&FSE to enter into negotiations with BT to implement a typing allowance which should be incorporated into NewGRID Team Member Allowances and applied to any individual meeting these criteria and utilising these skills on a regular basis.

Mersey

SECTION 14

Wednesday (16.00 – 16.35)

Page 41

70 CATEGORY A: Conference is concerned how work team members are

supported when asked to work away from home on lodge loan to cover the short

fall in resource and peaks of work in other areas. With that in mind, Conference is concerned by the lack of progress as laid out in a briefing that went out in January 2015 from Openreach, titled “Lodge Claims – are you being compliant”. Within that it states: “The survey also highlighted that in some places obtaining a decent rate can be

difficult so we are separately going to look into whether there are any alternative options such as centrally paid deals with national hotel chains that would include bed, breakfast and something to eat in the evening. This will take a while to look into, so for now, our focus is on achieving 100% compliance with the cash advance process.” Due to the lack of progress on “Centrally paid deals”. Conference instructs T&FS to enter into negotiations to seek agreement with the company. We should ensure our members have the option of their lodgings being pre-paid with Dinner, Bed and Breakfast, plus incidentals from the central paid deal, or the existing lodge allowance. With a report to Branches on the progress on the motion to be given no later than September 2017.

South London, Surrey and North Hampshire

SECTION 15

Wednesday (16.35 – 17.45)

Page 42

71 CATEGORY A: Conference notes that the Transformation Agreement in BT

Consumer has led to more UK BT jobs. Although 98% of advisors got their first

preference for the number of days they work in the changes to attendance patterns Conference believes that more can be done to improve attendance options. Therefore as part of the review process built into the Agreement Conference instructs the TFSE to seek the following. Attendances that include a regular pattern for weekday Rostered Days Off

Ensure that there is a fair mix of attendances after 6pm which end before site closure times.

An increase in the number of attendances that include a fixed Rostered Day Off.

A reduction in the overall level of weekend and late working.

New attendance options to improve work life balance, such as term time working, and better patterns for part time staff.

TFS Executive

72 CATEGORY A: Conference is concerned at the continued failure of BT

Consumer to meet the terms of the Universal Attendance Patterns Framework Collective agreement in relation to Bank holiday attendance. Annex B of the agreement clearly defines the process for attendance and in particular the notice periods required. BT Consumer Connections has repeatedly

failed to provide the 16 week notice when seeking voluntary attendance, most recently around the Easter and May bank holidays 2017. The TFSE is instructed to challenge this failure and to urgently seek assurances the business will adhere to all terms of the agreement for the future.

Edinburgh, Dundee and Borders

73 CATEGORY A: Conference is concerned about the increase in Exceptional

Change of Hours requests in BT Consumer since the implementation of the attendance transformation. This increase in numbers has caused a delay in the ECOH and appeals process causing additional stress to our members. In addition,

the current definition of what constitutes exceptional seems to be outwith the original agreement with any request for fixed attendances being deemed exceptional and members still being required to fit the shape. This has caused members to lose faith in the attendance transformation agreement and the ECOH process. The T&FSE is therefore instructed to raise these issues with BT Consumer at the earliest opportunity with a view to ensuring the original agreement is honoured and the ECOH process is fit for purpose.

Somerset, Devon and Cornwall .

SECTION 15

Wednesday (16.35 – 17.45)

Page 43

74 CATEGORY A: This conference instructs the T&FSE to negotiate with BT

Group Openreach:

It has been evident that the way Flex is used in BT Openreach Service Delivery, and National Operations Field, that although contracted to a 36 hour week for newgrid engineers, and 37.5 for 2020 engineers, in essence BT Openreach with their abuse of Flex have driven the working week for flex enabled engineers up to between 38 hours a week and 44 hours a week depending on what Rota or contract you are on .We receive calls to the union office weekly stating how

managers are instructing members on how much flex they must do and if they don’t do any flex they will be disciplined. We also receive calls to the Branch on how PLUS flex seems to disappear from members flex balance regularly. We there for instruct the TFSE to negotiate with BT Openreach and reach a better deal on the SDT flex agreement. There needs to be auto generated emails to all engineers doing flex showing any change as it happens to engineers plus or minus Flex balance and who initiated the change. There also needs to be a new process that is put in place where an engineer can take any PLUS flex as an absence or AL.

We would also like BT Openreach to carry out regular Audits of all First line managers CSS NJR transactions to see if First line managers are manipulating Flex

when carrying out time sheet Authorisation. South East Central

75 CATEGORY A: Conference is dismayed that once again our members

have had to sacrifice their family time and work life balance in order to satisfy the failure of openreach to properly resource the work demands. Whilst recognising that we work in a service delivery environment 12 Saturdays per year should be the maximum that can be expected from anyone.

Welcoming the influx of new recruits that should help with the demand, we should be examining the rationale and evidence regularly in order to normalize the Saturday rosters. Conference instructs the TFS to engage effectively with the company to reduce the number of Saturdays required to 12 and in any case within one year from implementation of the roster change.

Central Counties and Thames Valley

76 CATEGORY A: Conference instructs the T&FSE to negotiate with BT

consumer to allow new entrants, both BT direct recruits and agency, to start on part time hours with a provision for part time training and grad bay, removing a barrier to encourage more women applicants or people with carer needs to be able to apply and work for the company.

Lancs and Cumbria

SECTION 15

Wednesday (16.35 – 17.45)

Page 44

77 CATEGORY A: Conference notes that some managers in BT have recently

been telling members they cannot carry over any leave to the next leave year

unless they give an acceptable reason. Conference believes BT employees should have the right to carry over up to 5 days annual leave, in line with custom and practice. Members shouldn’t have to explain their personal circumstances to avail themselves of this right. Therefore conference instructs the incoming T&FS to negotiate with BT to remove

the wording which gives individual local manages the right to determine if someone is allowed to carry up to 5 days annual leave.

Greater London Combined

78 CATEGORY A: Conference welcomes the repatriation of contact centre

work from India to the UK, although visibility of attendance patterns is becoming an increasing concern for members. Whilst other lines of business are able to publish attendances years ahead, BT Consumer is largely publishing only six weeks’ in advance, making planning of personal lives and care arrangements unnecessarily stressful. The T&FSE is therefore instructed to negotiate with BT to agree a method by which BT Consumer staff normally have visibility of their full attendance patterns a minimum of 12 weeks in advance. Refusal by BT to reach agreement by October 2017 will result in campaign of action up to and including strike action.

South Wales

SECTION 16

Thursday (09.00 – 09.20)

Page 45

79 CATEGORY A: In BT Consumer, incoming customer calls through

“Advanced Call Routing” (ACR) are dividing calls into different denoted bands of

advisors typically classed from A to D. Across these bands there can be significant differences in the volumes of calls, meaning that one band can be experiencing low call volumes whilst another band is under resourced. Conference believes that this is an unhealthy situation for the workplace. It results in uneven coaching support across the bands as well as the disparity in call volumes being damaging to morale.

Conference instructs the TFSE to enter into prompt negotiations with BT on this issue to alleviate the problems caused by ACR.

Mersey

80 CATEGORY A: Conference understands the issue with “Tours” being

mandatory with new recruits within Openreach and the unnecessary pressure and stress this puts upon the individual.

Whilst previously, National Operations Engineers picked up mainly cabinet work, they have now gained both faulting and provision skills and the increase in pressure and stress upon members can sometimes be too much, therefore creating a rise in demand from National Operations Engineers to be able to receive one job at a time. Conference therefore instructs the T&FSE to negotiate with Openreach at the earliest opportunity to allow new recruits into the business the ability to pick up one job at a time should they find the pressure and stress of “Tours” unacceptable.

Great Western

SECTION 17

Thursday (09.20 – 09.35)

Page 46

81 CATEGORY A: This Conference notes that while current employees of BT

receive free broadband and other perks, there is nothing the company offers to

those who have retired many with long service records and they have been treated just the same as any ordinary member of the public. Conference therefore, calls upon the T&FS to negotiate with BT Group to secure some special tariff rates for retired BT employees, in recognition of their contribution to the Company's success.

Midland No.1

82 CATEGORY A: This Conference recognises the appalling conditions that

many clothing workers in the developing world are experiencing. As such this conference instructs the T&FS Executive to ensure that all corporate and protective

clothing are obtained from ethically approved suppliers and that these suppliers observe international labour standards.

Central Counties and Thames Valley

SECTION 18

Thursday (09.35 – 10.25)

Page 47

83 CATEGORY A: Conference is extremely concerned with the quality and

standard in which Manpower discipline cases are being dealt with.

Frequently invites to disciplinary hearings are issued only for the member to find the meeting cancelled at very short notice or not being advised at all. Members often turn up at their hearing to find that no Manager from Manpower is present. Furthermore, Manpower managers are increasingly providing very shoddily prepared case paperwork with incorrect documents included or with key

documents and evidence missing. This renders the member disadvantaged, with insufficient information about the alleged misconduct to be able to adequately prepare to answer their case at their disciplinary hearing. Conference instructs the TFSE to raise the issue with Manpower as a matter of urgency and seek a guarantee that as a minimum the ACAS code of practice is followed and that training is given to Manpower Managers in how disciplinary paperwork should be collated and presented. A report to be provided back to branches by September 2017.

Lincolnshire and South Yorks

84 CATEGORY A: Conference recognises that Fact Finding interviews can be

very stressful for our members. At the 2013 T&FS Conference Prop 42 was carried unanimously which called for a change in the Fact Finding process to allow an individual to be accompanied by a CWU rep at that meeting. There has been no report from the Executive as to the outcome of any discussions and the process

remains unchanged. Conference therefore instructs the I/C T&FSE to immediately enter discussions with BT to change the Fact Finding process which would then allow individuals to be accompanied at this meeting.

North East

85 CATEGORY A: With a growing product portfolio in BT Consumer

conference notes that branches with members in BT Consumer are noticing a rise in misconduct disciplinary meetings that deal with compliance failure. The vast majority of these cases are caused by mistakes as opposed to a deliberate action. Conference believes that BT’s processes and systems lead to a cumbersome

customer interaction allowing also for a wide margin for compliance failure; advisors who are new into BT are particularly vulnerable to this. Conference instructs the incoming TFSE to negotiate with BT Consumer to define compliance in terms of a mandatory regulatory issue against a business requirement and to improve BT Consumer’s customer service systems so that they are easier and intuitive to deliver on compliance.

Mersey

SECTION 18

Thursday (09.35 – 10.25)

Page 48

86 CATEGORY A: Conference is concerned that management are not

complying with the ILM code of practice, particularly the use of the data derived

from the GPS technology.

The code of practice states at para 4.1: 4.1 GPS Guidelines Openreach Service Delivery confirms that the system is not designed nor intended as an employee surveillance system or as a discipline tool and it will not

be the sole basis for instigating performance or disciplinary proceedings. The purpose of GPS is to help get the best use out of vehicles and identify ways to improve the use, efficiency and performance of task/job allocation”

It’s clear from this that this device will not be used as an “employee surveillance system or as a discipline tool and it will not be the sole basis for instigating performance or disciplinary proceedings.” It is clear that managers are using the ILM data to instigate disciplinary processes and as a surveillance tool. Such use is clearly against the agreed principles. This conference therefore instructs the T&FS to enter into discussion with Openreach to ensure that the code of practice is adhered to. In order to achieve this, OM’s access to the ILM data should be restricted to prevent any such breaches.

If the T&FS can’t achieve assurances from the company that these behaviours will cease by August 31st 2017, then we immediately begin a campaign for industrial action.

South London, Surrey and North Hampshire

87 CATEGORY A: Conference instructs the T&FSE to negotiate with BT that

for cases of minor misconduct managers can issue a formal oral warning.

Tyne and Wear Clerical

88 CATEGORY A: Conference, our branch believes that the Grievance system

currently used by BT is not fit for purpose, and we call upon the T&FS national team to enter into talks with the company to establish a grievance system which our members can believe in. One in which our members are treated with the dignity and respect in which they deserve, and one in which our members can feel a sense of

justice, which is sadly lacking with the present system. As a minimum we ask that all grievances which require a formal hearing are heard outside of the direct management line. And that all grievance appeals are heard outside of the line of business. And we ask that this is discussed with the business at the earliest opportunity with a report to branch’s as soon as possible after any relevant talks.

South East Anglia

SECTION 19

Thursday (10.25 – 11.10)

Page 49

89 CATEGORY A: Following the transfer of Field Engineers from Openreach,

Global Services and the TUPE of ITS Field staff into BT Business and Public Sector,

forming one new Field Services team, there are now disparities in grading and Terms and conditions with the vast majority of this team falling within the Newgrid Grading structure. The company has made clear their intentions to cross-skill all of the team and therefore it makes no sense to have a dual structure when it comes to Pay, Terms and Conditions. The T&FSE is therefore instructed to seek urgent discussions with management to

resolve grading anomalies and assimilate into the Newgrid structure.

TFS Executive

90 CATEGORY A: Conference recognises that the special leave granted for

bereavement, whether that is for a family member or a friend, is becoming increasingly difficult to achieve. It appears that Managers are not exercising their discretion in what is already a very stressful time. Conference therefore instructs the incoming T&FSE to open up discussions with BT to address this unfair practice and to ensure that the decision to grant this leave is "at the Managers discretion" and not being driven by operational needs.

North East

91 CATEGORY A: If Carried 92 falls

Conference agrees that the BT ‘New Joiners Guidance’ takes advantage of new employees with the provision “ for employees who have less than 2 years’ service, it is likely that no initial formal warning will be given and the process as a minimum will commence at the final formal warning stage.” The T&FSE are instructed to seek an adjustment to this to reduce the timeframe

from 24 months/2 years down to the 9 month probation period.

Tyne and Wear Clerical

92 CATEGORY A: Conference is concerned that new BT employees are

being managed under a 'New Starter Process' with a 24 month probationary period. The 24 month period detailed within the process is totally unacceptable and punitive. The increase to 24 months from what was previously 12 months provides an unacceptably high length of service to be treated differently and much harsher than other employees. Conference does not agree that the change is justifiable or fair and certainly does not create a supportive foundation for new recruits in BT.

SECTION 19

Thursday (10.25 – 11.10)

Page 50

Conference therefore instructs the TFSE to negotiate with BT to ensure that the 24 month period is reduced to 12 months maximum and a report on progress provided to branches by August 2017.

Lincolnshire and South Yorks

93 CATEGORY A: That this Conference instructs the T&FSE to negotiate with

BT/BT Group PLC:

That all annual leave entitlement is standardised in a positive way, across all BT contracted grades, based on length of service. For example: Where a pre NEWGRID grade B2 leave entitlement is 216 hours p.a., a pre NEWGRID C3 Grade is 234 hours p.a.

Conference accepts this entitlement is unfair and discriminative. T&FSE to report back to Branches prior to December 2018 on progress of negotiations.

South East Central

SECTION 20

Thursday (11.10 -11.35)

Page 51

94 CATEGORY A: COMPOSITE MOTION

Conference is dismayed at the extremely poor training being given to new recruits within BT Openreach, especially given that Clive Selley and Openreach’s promise of skilled teams being one of the cornerstones in their “Big Bold Plan” meetings in May 2016 and then further reiterated in Clive’s LoopLive article on the 9th August 2016. Despite all these promises of improved training, new recruits are being

sent out into the network without any idea of how to do the job, in lots of cases their “buddies” are new recruits themselves. How can Openreach think this is a feasible long term strategy, it just leads to a worse quality network, more customer dissatisfaction, and most importantly it leads to increased pressure and stress on the members. Conference urges the T&FSE to lobby BT Openreach into an immediate investigation into their current training schemes and to remedy the issues regarding training within the company at the earliest opportunity. The T&FSE are further instructed to ensure that action plans are in place including timelines and adequate facilities, to enable our members to access the best possible training and development.

Great Western East Midlands

95 CATEGORY A: Conference notes that over the years within Venture

Voice Services (VVS) there has been a reduction of dedicated trainers to carry out the very important task of new entrant training. There is currently only one accredited trainer carrying out such training across 6 sites nationally. The solution provided by the business has been to second online advisors to carry out training duties across sites, with no formal accreditation. The situation is further exasperated by VVS having no Coaches within its line of business, hence coaching and support is only provided by Managers. This does not demonstrate a quality approach from the company in a line of business where advisors handle a very high volume of stressful 999 emergency calls often with life or death situations. Procedures change frequently and there is strict Call Monitoring.

Conference instructs the T&FSE to enter into negotiations with VVS to secure an agreement for the reintroduction of Coaches and an increase of accredited Trainers within each site as a matter of urgency.

Lincolnshire and South Yorks

SECTION 20

Thursday (11.10 – 11.35)

Page 52

96 CATEGORY A: Conference notes with sadness that since the National

campaign for BREXIT and the impact performance management has had in relation

to the management style and views of many BT managers: attitudes within BT far too often reflect those external to the company, the type that now qualify as headline news. People with disabilities are being treated negatively, unacceptable comments regarding race, religion and sexuality are becoming commonplace in and out of the workplace.

Due to the lack of education neither managers nor members are confident or equipped to deal with these situations, so it often goes unchallenged. Conference therefore instructs the incoming T&FS executive to approach BT with the request for BT and CWU to jointly run equality and diversity courses, for all team members and managers who work for the company.

Greater Merseyside and SW Lancs Amal

MOTIONS NOT ADMITTED TO THE AGENDA

Page 53

97 CATEGORY X: Conference is alarmed at the inconsistent approach that

BT is applying to people in Transition and/or on Pay and Pension Protection terms

in a role at a grade lower than their substantive grade. The process is quite clear in that where vacancies exist, people in Transition Centres or on P&PP who are of the same grade, should be offered those positions before they are advertised.

Birmingham, Black Country and Worcester

98 CATEGORY X: Conference, many of our members have suffered from

industrial injuries over the years. With the advancing age of many of our members we are finding that an injury suffered many years ago by a member has over a long period of time become more acute, indeed some are having to undergo surgery for injury’s which the suffered decades ago.

Our branch believes that all medical records dealing with members who have suffered an industrial injury and which has been recorded as such, should be kept for a minimum of 20 years and not 7 as at present. This would provide evidence to the company that the member has had an industrial injury in the past. This may be needed when a member may be called into a disciplinary meeting for their sick attendance.

South East Anglia

99 CATEGORY X: This conference recognises that major difficulties remain

in BT Consumer since the introduction of the Transformation Agreement and Workforce 20/20, namely but not exclusively:

Breach of the Transformation Agreement with the use of third party

outsourced suppliers Lack of flexibility and visibility in attendances including the overwhelming

majority of late finishes being at the end of the attendance spans Routine abuse of BT Group’s sick, special leave policies and procedures and

the increased use of Attendance Managers

Excessive and disproportionate use of informal/formal Performance Management

The introduction of a 90% recruitment pay rate for Workforce 20/20 and the aggressive use of the New Joiners procedure, leading to high levels of attrition

The T&FSE is instructed to

Open discussions with BT Consumer on the excessive and increased use of

Performance Management and to agree a moratorium on existing and future cases with the aim of resetting the use of Performance Management and returning to a level that is fair and proportionate and in line with the whole of BT

Reinforce conference policy on Attendance Managers with the aim to reset

BT Consumer’s approach to sick absence and special leave and return to a level that is fair and proportionate and line with the whole of BT

Conduct a review with BT Consumer on attendances with the aim of achieving a wider range of evening finishes, increasing the number of fixed RDOs and extending the visibility of attendances to 12 months.

MOTIONS NOT ADMITTED TO THE AGENDA

Page 54

Demand that the further use of third party outsourced suppliers be halted

and that a clear timetable for the removal of existing outsourced UK & Ireland work is agreed

Report back to branches on progress no later than September 2017 and if insufficient progress has been made on the above instructions call a Special Branch Conference to debate the use of what actions can be taken up to and including industrial action, to achieve major and sustained improvements for members in BT Consumer.

Mid Wales the Marches and North Staffs

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General Secretary Dave Ward | Dave Ward CWU | @DaveWardGS

05224 Published by the Communication Workers Union 2017