Reserves,rotating days off and annual leave

OPG98283 · Post by **OPG98283** » 27 Aug 2019, 18:13

Hi I have been a postie in Aberdeen for the last two years as a reserve have still not had a rotating day off. According to my union rep, management are only obliged to give me a Saturday every 6 weeks but no long weekend. However I have 2 issues;
1. When I am to cover a floater in my block who has a long weekend my day off is moved to another day and
2. As I do not have a rotating day off I cannot plan ahead therefore FORCING me to use annual leave days for things while my colleagues can use their rotating day off. How can this be allowed to happen? Any advice would be appreciated and opinions welcome.

miles_peters · Post by **miles_peters** » 27 Aug 2019, 19:49

the life of a reserve.... you should get what everyone else gets but in order to do so you have to battle for your life. good luck

crimson king · Post by **crimson king** » 29 Aug 2019, 09:46

miles_peters wrote:the life of a reserve.... you should get what everyone else gets but in order to do so you have to battle for your life. good luck

Yeah, it sucks. Constantly having to ask when you're off the following week, not being able to plan anything whilst colleagues are always off in their caravans on long weekends. I like the variation and getting to know different duties but I'll be applying for vacant duties asap, just for the comfort and convenience of knowing when your next day off is.

Oh, and don't get me started on this 1 in 6/ 1 in 4 Saturday malarkey....it's Tolkeinesque in its fantasy value.

Post by **Trail** » 29 Aug 2019, 15:01

crimson king wrote:
miles_peters wrote:the life of a reserve.... you should get what everyone else gets but in order to do so you have to battle for your life. good luck
Yeah, it sucks. Constantly having to ask when you're off the following week, not being able to plan anything whilst colleagues are always off in their caravans on long weekends. I like the variation and getting to know different duties but I'll be applying for vacant duties asap, just for the comfort and convenience of knowing when your next day off is.

Oh, and don't get me started on this 1 in 6/ 1 in 4 Saturday malarkey....it's Tolkeinesque in its fantasy value.

It took me 15 months to get a Saturday off when I was with RM.

I also couldn't get annual leave for a trip to London despite having hotels and trains booked and paid for well in advance. I had to be selective with my time off as my then lassie works in education and is governed by school holidays. I'd been at RM for ten months, worked every day off. So I walked into the DOM's office with a pen and a piece of paper and said to him basically "If you don't authorise me these four days you can get someone to cover ******es 1 because if not I'm going home".

I had three union reps with me (including one of the bigwigs). I was also ready to smack someone's head in. Sometimes you have to be ruthless. He asked me what I wanted (four days in August), and signed them straight off. They can find time for annual leave whenever they want.

I enjoyed my time in London.

Sir Henry · Post by **Sir Henry** » 29 Aug 2019, 18:05

No political will within the union hierarchy to tackle this perennial issue.
"f**k the reserves, we're alright Jack"

It's a f***ing insult to be told "you get the day off of the walk you're covering" only to see them change the Saturday that is due, to something easier for them to cover.

So if they are going to honour my equivalent of 1 in 6 I should only get Saturdays off all next year.
Or are they going to wait until I'm two years from retirement and furnish me with nowt but Saturday's from then until I punch the clock for the last time?

Shower of aerosols!