BT and Openreach workers strike - what this means as 999 operators walk out

24.10.2022 - 17:05 / dailyrecord.co.uk

Workers at BT and Openreach are staging strike action today as up to 38,000 people walkout amid an ongoing pay dispute.

While this will not directly impact broadband or telecommunications, call centre operators and technicians will be walking out, as well as 999 phone operators.

This could leave people waiting longer than usual for support, however BT have said that they will do "whatever it takes" to protect their 999 services and reduce disruption.

When the first strikes were announced in August of this year, broadband expert at USwitch Ernest Doku told the Express : "BT has a third of the UK's fixed broadband subscribers, and if you’re an existing customer experiencing an internet outage or looking to have BT broadband installed, it's possible that the strikes could affect the service you receive."

Doku suggested going straight to the service status page on the BT website if you're experiencing any problems, as call centre staff may be unable to help over the phone.

CWU general secretary Dave Ward said his members remained determined to continue with the action, adding: "We're never going to walk away from this."

The union said BT's "imposed" pay rise of £1,500 was worth between five percent and less than three percent, well below "spiralling" inflation.

The first national industrial action in BT Group for three and a half decades took place on July 29 and August 1, two further strikes were held at the end of August, followed by three further walkouts this month before Monday’s action.

CWU deputy general secretary Andy Kerr said: "When the 999 callers are out on strike, you know something is going very wrong in this country.

"Time and time again, we have asked for negotiations to resolve what is a dangerous dispute,