Capita/O2 pay up

Capita

Members in Capita on the O2 account who were transferred over from Telefonica in 2013 in what was then the biggest outsourcing in British industrial history have voted by more than nine to one in favour of a CWU-negotiated pay settlement which provides for a 2 per cent across-the-board rise that flows through to allowances.

Following last Wednesday’s (June 6) ratification of the deal by members in a consultative ballot, the fully consolidated rise – which only applies to the TUPE’d population on legacy O2 contracts at the Preston Brook and Leeds Arlington Business Centre sites – will take effect in this month’s pay packets, backdated to January 1.

Commenting on a “frustrating and unusual” set of pay talks that stalled no sooner than they had got underway following the halving of Capita’s share price in just one day at the end of January, assistant secretary Brendan O’Brien said: “I’d like to thank those members in the TUPE population who kept up the pressure in meetings and conversations with management, as their strength of feeling on the issue of pay undoubtedly strengthened the union’s negotiating hand at a pivotal moment.”

When discussions finally resumed, the company’s initial offer of a 1.75 per cent pay rise was rejected by the CWU National Team as “falling short of the aspirations of the membership.”

Brendan concludes: “The company’s final offer of 2 per cent across all pay bands, was above the pay pot allowance expected by Group and was certainly the best deal that could be achieved by negotiation, as has clearly been recognised by members.”