Newsletter issued by the MARTLESHAM STE LIAISON COMMITTEE

BRANCH CONTACT NUMBERS

Martin Aylett - 01473 645029 (Out of hours - 01379 588177)

Paul Huff - 01473 644211 (Out of hours - 01473 603187)

All membership enquiries to: Nick Thomas - 01473 605374

Women's Issues to: Elisabeth Fosbrooke - 01473 645656

Research Senior Branch enquiries to: Steve Haigh - 01473 644544

WE ARE NOW ON THE WWW

The latest local and national STE news can be found on the new Martlesham Branch WWW site (address:- http://geocities.datacellar.net/CapitolHill/Lobby/4300/). Bookmark this address!

BRANCH NEWS IN BRIEF

Finance Unit. Notice has been given to the STE that the Finance directorate will be reducing the number of posts during the next year. It is not clear at this stage if this will affect any of our members here at Martlesham, however, if any member has any worries or is approached, then please contact either Martin Aylett or Paul Huff for advice (contact numbers above).

Branch Tour. Over the next few months the Field Officer and members of the Executive Council will be touring Martlesham with the aim of meeting ALL members. This is YOUR opportunity to make your views known on current issues direct to the officers of the union who carry out the negotiations with BT.

Financial Seminars. Membership Services Direct will be holding a series of lunch-time Financial Seminars starting in September. The response to last months questionnaire was overwhelming and each seminar will focus on specific topic such as "how to make the most of my regular savings." We will advise all members of this programme. The popular Membership Services Direct Promotion Stand in the Restaurant Foyer will return on Tuesday, 9^th September.

MPG Pay 97. Conference was dominated this year by the pay debate and the suspension of industrial action. Whilst, it is clear that BT had improved their pay implementation as a result of the union's action, many MPGs remain disadvantaged. There is also considerable concern in about the lack of visibility of how our pay is determined. BT and the STE have carried out pay surveys, the outcome of which will inform the negotiations. The STE aim in the negotiations will be to achieve a fair and open pay system which will reduce the potential for future disputes and to resolve the worst injustices of this year's payments.

Conference carried the Reference Back that "if negotiations with BT have not reached such a stage that the EC feel able to recommend a conclusion to the dispute to a Special Conference by three months from the end of Annual Conference, the EC will come back to meetings of branch activists with a view to restarting the industrial action, beginning with an immediate reactivation of the action short of strike." - this despite Executive Council opposition to setting a rigid timescale for the negotiations. (A reference back proposing a shorter time limit was lost.)

Subscriptions. For the first time in 5 years monthly subscriptions are to be increased. They will go up by 50p per month (25p per month for half rate payers) with effect from 1 September 1997. This increase will enable the STE to meet its expenditure from subscription income alone.

Times They are a Changing. During the summer the EC will be carrying out a review of the union. The STE is already moving away from being "tied" to one company (e.g. significant recruitment in Vodafone) and is looking at other trends for the future.

• Many of us now work in fields which are no longer core telecom activities - we consider ourselves to be software engineers rather than telecom specialists.
• Many members do not work for BT.
• Many members are loyal to their profession and BT is only the badge under which they are currently employed.
• Many who are now recruited expect to see a rate of pay for the job and do not wish to join a "progression" system.

The EC will welcome input from branches - so any thoughts?

Watch this space for further news as it evolves.

Cyclists. Now an annual agenda item in one form or another, the EC have again been instructed to press BT to apply the principles of its own welfare and environmental policies by the positive encouragement of cyclists and other sporting enthusiasts, by providing welfare facilities in all its buildings wherever possible. [Could this mean the re-commissioning of the Martlesham runway for our glider and light aircraft pilots ??]