BT Group PLC (LSE:BT.A) and Openreach staff are holding new strikes over pay today and tomorrow, while the government targets overseas labour to enable the company to continue its fibre broadband roll-out unabated.
Some 40,000 Communication Workers Union (CWU) members and BT staff are said to be involved in the strikes over the next two days, opposing the flat rate pay rise of £1,500 that the company offered.
BT said the pay rise is its largest in 20 years and represents an average increase of around 5% for most staff.
However, this is below the current inflation level of 10.1%, with the union arguing it represents a real terms pay cut.
To tackle the issue of strikes and labour shortages for BT and other telecoms companies as they struggle with hiring, the government is planning to fast-track thousands of foreign workers to telecoms firms to speed up the installation of gigabit broadband.
According to a report from The Times, home secretary Priti Patel told businesses in a letter that “The Home Office is on standby to help you and your sub-contractors understand the immigration system and receive an expedited service.”
Patel added she asked the Home Office team to ensure that enough English language testing and visa appointments were available.
The government had set targets to ensure all premises in the UK had gigabit broadband by 2030, but providers warned that without skilled workers from abroad hitting these targets would be tough.
In June, BT complained that a lack of government support affects its broadband rollout and that more subsidies were needed to reach broadband targets.
Various barriers to bringing in foreign workers, exacerbated by Brexit, are said to frustrate companies and their subcontractors.
These include limited appointments for English tests, long waiting lists and expensive costs involved, with employing a foreign worker costing nearly 10 times as much as a domestic employee at £11,000 on average over a five-year period.