Communications giant BT has denied a union’s claims that staff at its Cobalt Business Park call centre have set up a food bank to help colleagues cope with the cost of living crisis.
The Tyneside CommunitEE pantry was set up by staff at EE – owned by BT – and offered cupboard staples such as pasta, cereal and oats, as well as baby food, and was first reported by The Big Issue magazine.
But an argument has broken out over the pantry, with Communication Workers Union (CWU), which is balloting members over strike action, saying the pantry was a food bank and an example of low pay, according to expressandstar.com. BT has denied this, saying it was set up by staff to help colleagues, such as those who struggle to get to the shops after a long shift at the centre, near Wallsend.
