Drive to unionise BT Northern Ireland’s security guards as ISS takes over from Securitas
Telecoms & Financial Services January 25 2023
The CWU’s recognition agreement with ISS has been voluntarily extended to include security guards working at BT sites in Northern Ireland following the company’s announcement that it is taking the previously outsourced contract back in-house.
The previously un-unionised security staff will TUPE transfer from Securitas to ISS on February 1 as a result of the termination of their erstwhile employers’ contract – at which point ISS has pledged to provide the union full access to the 24 impacted employees.
“The affected individuals will, by virtue of TUPE regulations, transfer on their existing terms and conditions of service, with complete continuity of employment for statutory and contractual purposes,” explains CWU national officer for ISS, Tracey Fussey.
“We’re obviously extremely pleased at the way ISS proactively advised us of the TUPE, offering us an introduction and access to the individuals, who we very much look forward to welcoming into the CWU family.
“The Northern Ireland Telecoms Branch has already been contacted with a view to taking up the invitation from ISS to meet potential members, and we’re hopeful that the ex-Securitas employees will recognise the benefits that CWU membership brings.”
In recent weeks the CWU has been keeping close tabs on the TUPE process to ensure the smoothest possible transfer for those moving from Securitas to ISS at what is inevitably an anxious time for many, despite the legal protections.
“Reassuringly, we’ve been advised that any of the transferees who are in membership of a company pension scheme will be able to take up active membership of an ISS pension scheme following the transfer,” continues Tracey.
“We’ve also been assured that there are no other changes to terms and conditions, and confirmation has also been received that at this time ISS do not envisage that there will be any economic implications arising from this transfer – nor are there believed to be any social implications.”
Tracey concludes: “While TUPE transfers are inevitably an unsettling time for all involved, the way ISS has approached this insourcing has been exemplary from the outset – and I’d like to hope that the incoming NI security staff recognise that the CWU has their back.”