The National Communications Union Broad Left led NEC has retreated from a confrontation with BT over A fight was brewing over the company's Alignment/Reassignment plans to select staff for redeployment leading to inevitable compulsory redundancies.
BT wants to reduce its current workforce from 175,000 to under 100,000 by 1997, but has run out of volunteers for redundancy.
Alignment/Reassignment sought to cut operational staff by selecting people on the basis of a points system based on their Annual Performance Reviews (APRs) and their disciplinary and attendance record.
It became clear that managers were marking staff down on their APRs to meet their redeployment targets.
A branch-led boycott of Appraisement interviews was widely supported by the membership, forcing the NEC belatedly to withdraw from the APR agreement.
BT management showed signs of strain with senior management openly arguing with each other in front of NCU negotiators in the company's City HO.
Then along came a new agreement, unanimously recommended by the NEC, with all the main features of Alignment/Reassignment.
Leading Broad Left supporters on the NEC are claiming to have "bought time' until the agreement runs out in March 1994.
The reality is that it is the company which has bought time by getting the union's agreement to the first steps to compulsory redundancy, however it is dressed up.
The stigmatised redeployees will now be forced, by the small carrot of marginally improved redundancy terms and the very large stick of being told they have no future with the company, into taking voluntary redundancy.
The NCU's London Council narrowly defeated a proposition calling on the NEC to withdraw from the new Identification of Redeployees agreement, but agreed to launch a campaign in defence of our jobs and against the looming threat of compulsory redundancy.
Each delay makes the terrain more difficult next time. Its time to fight now on jobs, and fight for the union policy of the 32 hour, four day week; for worksharing without loss of pay, not job shedding.
SOCIALIST OUTLOOK No.54, December 11 1993, Page 5