LTB 517/17 – OPENREACH – Service Delivery use of Contractual Overtime (COT)
No. 517/2017
Ref: DB/DGN
22 September 2017
TO ALL BRANCHES WITH MEMBERS IN BT
Dear Colleague,
OPENREACH – Service Delivery use of Contractual Overtime (COT)
In line with the process outlined in the Memorandum of Understanding outlined in LTB 81/2013, the National Team (NT) were informed that the company were considering invoking contractual overtime.
This has now been invoked in 19 SOM patches and consultative arrangements set up in line with the contents of the above agreement. The NT did raise a number of concerns regarding the speed of escalation of the current workstack position which has led to the company invoking COT. It is unacceptable that mitigating actions which could have been put in place sooner and in conjunction with the CWU were not enacted. The CWU have worked closely in the past with the company to avoid the use of COT and that may have been possible on this occasion if the appropriate engagement had taken place.
In particular the NT believe the following extract from the communications sent to our members is unacceptable;
Please register your first 3 overtime days before by Friday 29th September and make sure you’ve registered the full four days overtime by October 6th
There is no contractual obligation to provide availability in the timescales set out above. The NT set out our concerns to the company regarding the tone and content of these communications prior to their publication. The NT are seeking the removal of this requirement.
In the interim the CWU therefore advises its members that in line with the agreement, they give their availability for contractual overtime, as it is known to them. Any instances where pressure is applied by any line manager to do otherwise should be brought to the attention of the local Branch and if this cannot be resolved then escalated through the normal routes.
The NT would request that Branches distribute this LTB as soon as possible to those impacted by the introduction of COT.
The NT and Regional SPOCs have agreed to discuss this issue weekly and Branches and members will be kept up to date via the usual channels.
Any enquiries from Branches regarding the contents of this LTB should be sent to my office in the first instance.
Yours sincerely,
Davie Bowman Assistant Secretary