BT workers "are not going to stop until they are listened to" as they are to take industrial action again next week in an ongoing pay dispute, a union warned.
Around 6,000 BT and Openreach workers across Scotland walked out at the end of July in the first nationwide strike since BT was privatised in 1987.
Across the UK, around 40,000 are now ready to join the second wave of action on August 30 and 31.
The Communication Workers Union (CWU) balloted its members in late June which has seen call centre workers take repeated action in the past few weeks.
Picket lines will once again be in place at sites across the country, including Alexander Bain house in Glasgow where workers have gathered previously with signs reading: "CEOs using Swiss banks, workers using food banks".
READ MORE: BT and Openreach workers in Scotland strike in dispute over pay
BT has offered and implemented a £1,500 per year pay rise for employees, but the CWU has labelled this a "dramatic real-terms pay cut".
It comes as forecasters are expecting inflation to soar up to 18.6 per cent in January, after already hitting 11.7% this year.
CWU General Secretary Dave Ward said the members have a "serious determination" to come out victorious in the pay dispute.
He added: "The reason for the strike is simple: workers will not accept a massive deterioration in their living standards.
“We won’t have bosses using Swiss banks while workers are using food banks.
“BT Group workers are saying: enough is enough. They have serious determination to win, and are not going to stop until they are listened to.”
The union also claimed that the company is making £1.3 billion in annual profit, with CEO Philip Jansen gaining a £3.5 million pay package – a 32% wage increase - while some workers are forced to "use food banks".
Mr Ward added: "The disruption caused by this strike is entirely down to Philip Jansen and his ridiculous refusal to speak to his workers about a fair pay deal.
“These are the same workers who kept the country connected during the pandemic. Without CWU members, there would have been no home-working revolution, and vital technical infrastructure may have malfunctioned or been broken when our country most needed it.
“These people have performed phenomenally under great strain and have been given a real-terms pay cut for a reward, while Jansen has rewarded himself a 32% pay increase off the backs of their work."
The workers on strike strike look after the vast majority of Britain’s telecoms infrastructure, from mobile phone connection, broadband internet and back-up generators to national health systems, cyber security and data centres.
It is expected the action will have a "serious effect" on the roll-out of ultra-fast broadband and could cause issues for those working from home.
Deputy general secretary Andy Kerr said the decision was "not made lightly".
“Instead, our attempts to meet and improve this situation were declined by senior management who clearly have no time for the people who make them their massive profits," he added.
“The constant disrespect shown towards our workforce has led to strike action that has been supported overwhelmingly by the public.
“If the top brass at BT haven’t got it yet – this is a problem entirely of their own making.
“BT Group workers will receive the dignity they deserve. That means a proper pay rise, and we will not give up until we get that.”
A BT Group spokesperson said: “We know that our colleagues are dealing with the impacts of high inflation and, although we’re disappointed, we respect their decision to strike.
"We have made the best pay award we could and we are in constant discussions with the CWU to find a way forward from here. In the meantime, we will continue to work to minimise any disruption and keep our customers and the country connected”.
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