BT and Openreach workers are picketing in Kidderminster today (Friday, July 29) in a dispute over pay.

The Communication Workers Union (CWU) is holding its first national telecoms strike since 1987 - the biggest ever among call centre workers.

Another strike will be held on Monday, August 1 after union members voted in favour of industrial action in protest at a £1,500 pay rise.

BT revealed its first sales growth for five years on Thursday as the telecoms giant benefited from price increases for customers earlier this year.

The group said it was also boosted by more people signing up for fibre-optic broadband and strong trading in its Openreach network business.

BT told shareholders that revenues increased by 1 per cent to £5.1 billion for the three months to June 30.

CWU general secretary Dave Ward said: “BT Group are now gaslighting our members.

“Announcing hundreds of millions of pounds in profit on the eve of the first national strike since 1987 smacks of arrogance and complete contempt for frontline workers.

“This dispute sits squarely at the feet of chief executive Philip Jansen. He represents everything that needs to change about big business in Britain.

“Our members kept the country connected during the pandemic. They deserve a proper pay rise, and that’s what they’re going to get."

The Kidderminster protest is being staged outside the BT Telephone exchange on Waterloo Street.

Union representative and Kidderminster picket supervisor Paul McGrath, aged 43, said: "People are sick of the hypocrisy.

"They have made a conscious decision to reward the shareholders and CEOs and refused to give anywhere near that to the workers.

"We are not getting a fair share of the huge profits this company is making".

A BT Group spokesperson said: A BT Group spokesperson said: “At the start of this year, we were in exhaustive discussions with the CWU that lasted for two months, trying hard to reach an agreement on pay.

“When it became clear that we were not going to reach an accord, we took the decision to go ahead with awarding our team member and frontline colleagues the highest pay award in more than 20 years, effective April 1.

“We have confirmed to the CWU that we won’t be reopening the 2022 pay review, having already made the best award we could.

“We’re balancing the complex and competing demands of our stakeholders and that includes making once-in-a-generation investments to upgrade the country’s broadband and mobile networks, vital for the UK economy and for BT Group’s future – including our people".