Payday comes early as VMO2 moves to alleviate the January blues

Telecoms & Financial Services, Virgin Media, VMO2 January 13 2023

The CWU has warmly welcomed a proactive move by Virgin Media O2 to ease post-Christmas cost-of-living pressures on ex-O2 employees by moving their January pay date five days forward.

National officer Tracey Fussey explains: “Given that all VMO2 employees were paid early in December – rather than the customary last working day of the month that normally applies to our former O2 members – that meant that those in our recognised bargaining unit were faced with the prospect of a particularly long gap between pay dates at what, for many, is an especially expensive time of the year

“To its great credit, VM02 recognised the financial pressures this would cause some – an issue which had also been flagged up to the union by a small number of members – and proactively sought consultation with the CWU to address the issue.

“The company’s suggestion was that they move the January payroll date for our former O2 members to the same date as the VM payroll (26 January 2023) – an idea that the CWU national team immediately recognised was a common-sense solution, providing at least some respite when it comes to the financial hangover of the festive season!”

February pay will revert back to the normal timescale – being paid to those in the ex-Telefonica bargaining unit on the last day of a shorter than normal month (February 28).

Tracey concludes: “Taken in conjunction with VMO2’s earlier agreement to staged lump sum ‘Cost of Living Allowance’ payments in the ultimate settlement of the union’s 2022 pay claim, this small but important gesture shows that management ‘gets it’ with regards to the exceptional financial pressures people are under in these exceptional times.”