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BT Focus November - more
Openreach Service Delivery – Travel
to and from Meal Breaks in a BT Building -
Since the introduction of iLM,
the issue of travel to and from BT buildings for meal breaks has been
contentious. The CWU has consistently argued that members should be entitled to
travel in company time so that they can get the full 40 minute break.
I am pleased, therefore, to report that
agreement has been reached with Openreach which allows for up to 10 minutes
either way to the nearest BT building. In the majority of cases this will be
within the ellipse. Where the nearest building is not in the ellipse, members
must make prior arrangements with their manager and inform the Control.
It is accepted that, in rural and remote areas,
the time to travel to and from the nearest building may be more than 10 minutes
each way. In these circumstances prior local arrangement can be made.
Admissions
from BT make it easier for engineers to claim for deafness and tinnitus -
14th September 2010 -
CWU members welcome the news that CWU Legal
Services solicitors have negotiated a series of important admissions from BT,
making it far easier for BT Engineers to claim compensation for hearing loss and
tinnitus where they have used the green tone sets.
BT Legal now admit that the green
sets exposed engineers to excessive levels of noise, and that it was negligent
of the business to require its employees to use this equipment. The court has
allowed BT a further few weeks to consider its position in relation to other
equipment used by engineers, though it anticipates that further concessions are
likely to be made in the near future.
In the meantime the CWU continues
to encourage any BT engineers who suffer from tinnitus and / or deafness and who
have used oscillators and amplifier tone sets of any colour
supplied by BT to contact the union. The average award is in the region of
£7,000 but can be significantly higher.
Previously, the CWU had reported
that a number of test cases were being litigated in the Cardiff County Court and
that it was possible a Group Litigation Order may be made, with a cut-off date
for registering new claims. However, in light of the admissions now made by BT,
CWU Legal Services have been advised that a Group Litigation Order is unlikely,
and that there will be no cut-off date, so new enquiries should continue to be
logged.
Tony Rupa, Head of CWU Legal
Services says, "If you have tried the helpline and have not been able to get
through it is important you keep on trying. The helpline have received
unprecedented levels of calls on this issue".
Members are advised to keep
checking the CWU website for further developments which will be reported as soon
as they become available.
If you think you have been
affected and have not yet registered a claim please do so as soon as possible
via the freephone CWU helpline: 0800 8046674 (lines open Monday
to Friday 8am - 6pm. One of our solicitors will contact you within 48 hours).
CWU Legal Services Scheme is a
benefit of membership and you are entitled to free legal help if you or a member
of your family has suffered injury due to someone else's fault, whether the
accident happened in or out of work.
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