CWU Demands BT Halt Typetalk Cuts

The CWU today (Thursday 15th Jan) called on BT to halt plans to cut the funding of the text relay service for deaf people and hearing impaired provided by Typetalk.

The cuts initiated by BT will lead to the closure of the marketing unit that is designed to promote the service to the deaf and hearing-impaired community and provide individual assistance to users. The cuts will lead directly to redundancies.

Andy Kerr, CWU deputy general secretary, said: "The cuts will reduce the level of service provided to this vulnerable section of society. BT should immediately halt the cuts to allow a proper debate with Ofcom about the marketing of the Typetalk service.

"BT has reinterpreted its licence so it will provide the service but it will no longer fund the marketing of the service. Having a text relay service but no mechanism to market it makes a mockery of the Universal Service Obligation."

CWU national official Nigel Cotgrove added: "There are no clear commitments from either BT or other operators to market the service in future. We have no confidence that the Typetalk service will be marketed at all. BT's cuts not only threaten the jobs of dedicated staff at Typetalk in the next few weeks, but also put the long-term success of the Typetalk operation at risk.

"These cuts are not consistent with BT's public support for corporate social responsibility issues and work with the voluntary sector. We are dismayed that an organisation that has won Company of the Year in the Business in the Community Awards for Excellence could act in this way."

Source: CWU

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