Prospect Telefonica UK Update on Pay 2012, Project Maya, Project Harold and Pensions Auto Enrolement

This newsletter provides an update on issues affecting Telefonica UK members –  Pay 2012, Project Maya, Project Harold and Pensions Auto Enrolement

Annual Pay Review

Prospect has met Telefonica UK to present it with members’ comments following your rejection of the company’s pay offer in our recent ballot.

The Company is considering your comments but has nonetheless, advised Prospect that it will be implementing its final offer. The Union has explained that the ballot rejected the company’s offer and therefore we have no pay agreement. We are reminding the company that members’ comments reflect the concerns we have been raising on your behalf for a very long time.

Your comments confirm what you are seeking:

• Adequate differentials between managers and those they manage, such that managers and professionals’ value and experience are properly reflected in relation to those they manage and lead.
• Pay ranges that also reflect internal and external market rates and which include the principle that experienced managers and professionals should be paid more than those recruited externally for equivalent roles.
• A mechanism to ensure that employees performing satisfactorily are able to progress to a competitive position on the pay range reflecting their experience and performance.
• Removing infairness such that experienced employees with similar performance histories should be paid similar pay rates for doing similar work.
• Undertaking an equality review to identify if there are inequalities in Telefonica’s pay arrangements for managers, and if so their extent.
• Ensuring that pay ranges are transparent and all employees understand where they sit on their pay range.

The union has suggested to the company that it carries out a broader survey jointly with us if it doubts how representative your views are, but that it urgently considers with us how it can address the genuine feelings of unfairness highlighted by members.

Prospect supports your view that the company needs to fund a process which demonstrates that it understands and acknowledges that these expectations – your expectations – are fair and reasonable. It is not acceptable that members who are reasonably paid should be denied cost of living and progression increases in order that they subsidise lower paid employees in a successful company’s underfunded pay structure. 

Project Maya – Proposed Networks outsourcing to Huawei

Prospect and Telefonica UK are discussing the proposed outsourcing of its voice core and fixed network to Huawei. Those members affected have been contacted and invited to a meeting / conference call. We are in the early stages of consultation focusing on job security and protection of members’ terms and conditions of employment.

Project Harold – Offshoring of transactional finance activities

Project Harold is a European initiative to offshore transactional finance activity to India. Unlike Project Maya our focus here is to ensure that all members are provided with suitable alternative redeployment opportunities. All affected members are being fully supported by the union.

Pensions Auto enrolment

Discussion has commenced currently focusing on the auto enrolment policy. We will be moving on to discuss Telefonica’s Defined Contribution Scheme and its connection to auto enrolment in the next few weeks before we move on to discuss the Defined Benefit Scheme. This is likely to involve lengthy and complex investigatory discussions and then negotiations in the run up to the implementation of auto enrolment which is expected to be in March of next year.

We will continue to keep members updated.

Contact Us

Don’t forget to keep in touch – we need your help if we’re going to be as effective as possible in making a difference to your world of work. Please click here to find out who your local representative is and how to contact them.

Prospect does hold regular calls and meetings with members and details can be found on our website (please note you will need to log in to see details). If you would like to be invited onto any of these calls please let us know. Please also contact your local reps or the union’s helpdesk, if you need any assistance.

Encourage your colleagues who are not members to join the union
The union is working hard with the company during a period of deep organisational transformation. We are determined to ensure that all members are supported, protected and where possible, see opportunities for career development and enhancement. Please encourage your colleagues who are not members to join. The greater our membership the greater our influence and ability to protect you and enhance your terms and conditions.