BT workers transfer to Openreach
THOUSANDS of BT workers will transfer to infrastructure arm Openreach today, completing a “major milestone” in creating the separate business.
The transfer of 31,000 workers, including fibre broadband engineers, is believed to be the biggest one-off transfer of employees in UK corporate history.
Openreach chairman Mike McTighe said: “This is an important day for Openreach as we’re fulfilling the commitments to Ofcom under the Digital Communications Review.
“Openreach now has its own board, greater strategic and operational independence, a separate brand and an independent workforce, and we’re ambitious for the future.
“We’ve set out a clear plan to invest in new, more reliable, future-proof broadband technology, and we’re right in the middle of our largest ever recruitment drive for 3,500 engineers.
“We’re determined to continue improving customer service, collaborating closely with our customers, and spearheading the national rollout of next-generation broadband networks.”
The transfer is being done through Tupe – Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment) – Regulations which are aimed at protecting workers’ terms and conditions when a business changes hands.
BT Group chief executive Gavin Patterson said: “Our teams have been working hard over the last 18 months to ensure that Openreach is operating with greater strategic independence and in collaboration with customers, and the transfer of 31,000 people over to Openreach marks the final official step towards the creation of a legally separate company.
“This is an ongoing process, and success requires continued commitment to the right behaviours, as well as transparency on how the arrangements are working in practice.
“We are committed to working with the regulator and industry to ensure customers up and down the country get the connectivity and customer service they deserve.”
Openreach began life as a division of the telecoms giant in 2006, following an agreement between BT and Ofcom to undertake work to ensure rival operators would have equality of access to the national network.
BT agreed to make the company legally separate, as Openreach Limited, in March last year.