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Temporary Job Opportunities with Royal Mail

An 'unofficial' forum for those who either work for Royal Mail or are looking to work for Royal Mail through the Angard Staffing Agency.This is an open forum.
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Lockardian
MAIL CENTRES/PROCESSING
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Joined: 29 Oct 2015, 06:19
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Temporary Job Opportunities with Royal Mail

Post by Lockardian »

I'll post this here as it's relevant to Angard staff, but please point me elsewhere on the forums if I can find more information there.

Angard workers at our Mail Centre have received an email inviting us to apply for part-time positions with Royal Mail. These vacancies do not appear to have been advertised externally (as yet).

The email states "The contracts will be 20 hours and on a temporary basis with regular reviews on the need for the contracts." So how long such a position will last is anyone's guess.

My query is what rate of pay would former Angard staff be on - some of us are on the higher steps of AWR, so could we actually be expected to take a drop in pay and be paid as a RM new starter (Angard staff who chose to do the RM Christmas Casual jobs went down to near-minimum wage). Furthermore, if/when the job subsequent ends would we automatically go back onto Angard's books, and have to work our way back up the pay scale, starting at minimum wage again.

Both the questionable length of these temporary jobs and the pay queries make me wonder if they are worth accepting.

tabact
Posts: 336
Joined: 21 Sep 2011, 15:31
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Temporary Job Opportunities with Royal Mail

Post by tabact »

You'd be on RM pay for a new starter and your pay rate is always going to be lower than the Angard rate due to the way it is calculated but you'd have regular hours plus the chance of overtime to increase your hours. If you want to work for RM this is one of the few ways you can expect to get a job in a mail centre so it's a case of get your foot in the door and have a chance of being taken on permanently or stay on the outside and hope you get a reasonable amount of shifts with Angard. The length of the contract would be the deciding factor for me, they are generally six months at the mail centre I work at. I applied last time duties were advertised and didn't get one but knowing when I would be working rather than last minute texts/phone calls was the reason I applied.

I'll ask around at work today as I know some people had been trying to find out whether they could go back to Angard on AWR if their contracts weren't extended although they are all still working three months after the original contract ran out.
Lockardian
MAIL CENTRES/PROCESSING
Posts: 405
Joined: 29 Oct 2015, 06:19
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Temporary Job Opportunities with Royal Mail

Post by Lockardian »

Thanks tabact. The anticipated length of contract and the actual rate of pay are the main deciding factors. The 'foot in the door' scenario is the major selling point, and guaranteed hours. But the grass isn't always greener if I look at the full picture and my current personal circumstances.

I can of course ask RM directly, but can anyone give me any indication of the actual starting rate? There's a big difference beteeen a couple of quid an hour drop and being started on around minimum wage!

TIA.
tabact
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Temporary Job Opportunities with Royal Mail

Post by tabact »

The starting rate if not London based will probably be £9.51 plus shift allowances. If you look at the RM job site that's the rate shown for delivery jobs (same grade as MC jobs). I asked somebody yesterday about transfering back to Angard at AWR but they hadn't found out if that is possible.
Lockardian
MAIL CENTRES/PROCESSING
Posts: 405
Joined: 29 Oct 2015, 06:19
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Temporary Job Opportunities with Royal Mail

Post by Lockardian »

Thanks. £9.51 an hour is of course much less than the £14.32 I normally get for nights, or £13.20 for lates. The proposed RM contract is to mainly cover lates.

I've looked but can't find specific info on the shift allowance. Is this a set amount paid per shift, or per week?

Thanks for all the info you've given so far.
tabact
Posts: 336
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Temporary Job Opportunities with Royal Mail

Post by tabact »

You're probably best off asking somebody at your mail centre what hourly rate they are getting. You will be a pound lower straight away as a new starter because you will lose the 6 & 12 month increases you've had with Angard. Don't forget once everything is taken into consideration the Angard rate is supposed to equal to the RM rate e.g. you'd get paid breaks. I knew I'd seen the pay rates and allowances somewhere they are in the 'Union Room' downloads.

http://www.royalmailchat.co.uk/communit ... 36&t=77681
Lockardian
MAIL CENTRES/PROCESSING
Posts: 405
Joined: 29 Oct 2015, 06:19
Gender: Male

Temporary Job Opportunities with Royal Mail

Post by Lockardian »

Cheers for that link. It's clear as mud, but I can get clarification from someone at work.

Regarding transferring back to Angard afterwards, I contacted the staff member who sent out the original email about the jobs and she replied: "I have just spoken to the payoll and they have advised me that as long as the Royal Mail transfer back your pay details to us correctly then you will still be on the AWR rate should you transfer back to Angard". So, in theory, it's not classed as a break in service and you go back on the rate you were on before transferring to Royal Mail. Whether Angard are capable of applying this correctly is another matter!

Incidentally, the email gave a closing date of Monday 13th May, when it is in fact Monday 13th March! Good job I realised 13th May is not a Monday this year!!
tabact
Posts: 336
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Temporary Job Opportunities with Royal Mail

Post by tabact »

A couple of people I spoke to last night think they may have started on the 'after 12 months' rate. It always amazes me people don't seem to know what they are meant to be paid. Comparing wages for 20 hours across lates and Sundays we earnt around the same amount if I ignored the extra money I'd get for a Sunday and just counted all the hours as late rate. So works out roughly £2 per hour less overall if you don't include a Sunday. Nobody I've spoken to regrets moving across to RM from Angard but like you said it depends on personal circumstances.
ennabee
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Temporary Job Opportunities with Royal Mail

Post by ennabee »

When I started with RM, transferred from Angard, I got the starter rate ie. got a raise after 6 and 12 months
tabact
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Temporary Job Opportunities with Royal Mail

Post by tabact »

ennabee wrote:When I started with RM, transferred from Angard, I got the starter rate ie. got a raise after 6 and 12 months
Then comparing wages at my mail centre you'd maybe start on £2.50 an hour less rather than £2 (people I spoke to over 6 months less than a year). It really makes a difference if you have a Sunday shift so if offered a duty that had a Saturday rather than a Sunday shift the hourly rate gap would be less.
Jizzmeister
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Temporary Job Opportunities with Royal Mail

Post by Jizzmeister »

does anyone know if these temporary jobs will happen at all mail centres?
Justanotherstar
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Temporary Job Opportunities with Royal Mail

Post by Justanotherstar »

All new starters are given temp contracts...never heard of them not being renewed unless you're completely useless, turn up late and blow out...If I was offered one from being on Angard I would snap it up so quick the person offering it would need a bandage for their wrist :chuckle

I was given a 10 hour contract (albeit at a D.O...with the real posties :crazy: :wink: ) and earned a good salary with overtime, i'm now full time...don't let the temp thing put you off, also regarding less wages, they're guaranteed hours with sick pay and holiday pay you don't have to accrue, no brainer unless you're one of the managers relatives who don't have to run the Angard phone call rat race.
NW11851
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Temporary Job Opportunities with Royal Mail

Post by NW11851 »

I don't know about colleagues, but I certainly did not receive an email invitation to a temporary contract at Gatwick RMC.

And yes, we DO have wives of 'Managers' who come in every single day on AWR pay rates without having to ring in.
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