use of agency workers in place of rm postmen

[sardonicus]

Hi Comrades

I just wondered, are RM allowed under union agreements etc to have agency workers on letter deliveries, doing a round, even when the regular or indeed, any Royal Mail employed postman, has put themselves forward to do said round, in my case, offering the dates as ot 3 weeks in advance and then 2 weeks in advance and then 1 week in advance, to be told no ot available, only to have an agency worker deliver my round on that day, and not just on one occasion?

I was under the impression agency workers were not allowed to do letter deliveries, only parcels, to protect our jobs, probs an impression i am under wrongly! but to give the work to an agency worker when there is an employed Rm postie asking to do it, and refused?

is that allowed?

Thanks as always...

[yellowbelly]

You'd have to check this yourself and I believe it was re-affirmed in the Four Pillars
but this is in Agenda For Growth 2014, Section 3, para 2.7.4 (my highlighting):

2.7.4 Agency workers are intended to cover short term or unforeseen resourcing
needs, expected to last for periods of no more than 12 weeks, which cannot
be covered by offering additional hours to existing employees whilst
maintaining quality of service. In the rare circumstances that employment
exceeds 12 weeks the provisions of the Agency Workers Regulations 2010
(as amended) will apply.

[yubin282]

What about taking a floater(me) off a duty so an agency worker can do it because 'it's a better area'.