Recruitment push for CWU

The CWU communication workers' union is conducting a recruitment push in five telecoms companies - Orange, Cable & Wireless, T-Mobile, NTL and Telewest - where it has significant membership but not full recognition.

The union acknowledges that its telecoms sector needs to move away from being a largely BT union. Its journal, the Voice, notes: "While membership ratios at BT have remained at near-saturation level, a widespread failure to recruit effectively in the emerging companies saw overall union membership across the telecoms sector dip to below 50%."

Some of the firms involved have demonstrated hostility to UK unions, but the CWU is confident of its capabilities.

National organising secretary Steve Baguley told the Voice: "The CWU has always been an organising union, in mail depots, delivery offices, post offices, call centres and phone exchanges across the UK.

"We have demonstrated that unions can be built in hostile environments, and are now using our knowledge to build union sections in the five companies."

* After an 11-month campaign, workers at Scottish-based wind-turbine manufacturer Vestas Celtic Wind Technology have voted overwhelmingly in favour of a recognition agreement with manufacturing union Amicus.

Amicus national officer Dougie Rooney said: "We will be working with the management team to make the business a success. We want to see good conditions for our members and job security, and in return we will co-operate in increasing productivity."