Since I've not seen this mentioned here or on the CWU site, I'm wondering what the situation is with the information given at a shop floor 'announcement' by Managers today:
They stated that this had already been agreed by the Union and that it was a nationwide request hence my question here.
Due to the strike on Friday, they are using the Half Hour Flex on Saturday.
Their intention is that anyone whose day off falls on either Monday or Tuesday will start work half an hour later on the other one of those days in order to maintain their contracted hours for that week. Others will start quarter of an hour later on both Monday and Tuesday to maintain their contacted hours balance. Then everyone will be expected to start their duties half an hour earlier on Saturday, (obviously to help clear the backlog from the previous day).
The way I see it is:
This is not an unforseen / last minute circumstance.
We have not been offered the opportunity to decide where we'd like to save our thirty minutes.
We were not told that we have a choice in this imposition.
Why would a Union who have structured the strikes in order to maximize the impact agree to something which will help reduce it on the day directly following that strike.
Most of us cant flex on a Saturday as the national agreement says weekly contracted hours will not change, Friday is the last possible day of the week for those with a Sunday off which for the majority of us is not a workday.
As I understand it, the need for flexing may be advised a minimum of 24 hours in advance and may be a reduction with time made up later or an over work with time reduced later. Either option must be concluded within that working week and must be agreed by both parties. Am I right ? If so and you agree to be flexed - a working day would have be shortened by 30 minutes before friday in order for you to work over by 30 minutes on saturday.
It is a lot of sh*te mate. The 30 minutes flexing is purely voluntary. If you read the P&M agreement you will see that it states unforseen problems which as you pointed out is NOT but it also states that it is voluntary and not compulsory so tell your dim the answer is NO.
The time has come to stop turning the other cheek, time to stop shaking our heads in bitter dismay, time to stop mumbling our angry words.
The time has come for union.
They stated that this had already been agreed by the Union WRONG!
They are abuseing the flex agreement,suprise suprise.
This is not an unforseen / last minute circumstance.
We have not been offered the opportunity to decide where we'd like to save our thirty minutes. RIGHT!
You also have the right to refuse,BUT people have been taken off pay for it.
What a s**t hole we work in.
I Wrote-During Covid-Which is still relevant now
It's good to get these types of threads, the ridiculous my manager said bollox, so we can reassure ourselves that while the world is falling apart, Royal Mail managers are still being the low-life C***S they have always been. My BFF Clash The daily grind of having to argue your case with an intellectual pigmy of a line manager is physically and emotionally draining.
As with most 'agreements' parties will often do their best to define its content in a manner that suits itself. If what rhino49 has stated is in fact the 'party line' and this type of request is considered reasonable as part of the structure then I have to accept that they are allowed to request the flexing arrangements.
However, unless there is a hidden agreement specifically covering this circumstance both parties should agree. Not only do I not agree with the principal of this due to the IA, but if I was to show willing then I should be afforded the opportunity to perhaps request working half an hour less on Thursday, (the day before the strike), which I'm guessing will be a heavy day anyhow! Surely that's reasonable too.
(incidentally the Managers email printout with this request was left for us to peruse in order to somehow verify this as a request to all and not just for our office! So how come I'm yet to hear about anyone else having been given the same brief today)
• Variation of hours – Where necessary, for example when traffic
volumes are unexpectedly high or resourcing issues arise, individuals
may be asked and may themselves request to vary their duty times by
up to 30 minutes on a swings and roundabouts basis. Again, individual
circumstances will be taken into account and total weekly contractual
hours would not change.
Since the exact words of that quote do not state anything about any of us having a choice, (either in agreement or refusal or in how we ride the roundabouts), then it appears to me as if it may be a tricky thing to fight if I refuse to play ball. Even if I were to use an individual circumstance for not being 'for' the Managements proposal, the quote suggests that it would be taken into account not that they will or must accept it. The only road to go down that I can think of ATM is that it could be construed as an act of bullying!
steven100 wrote:WE DON'T GET PAID ON OUR STRIKE DAYS. WHY FLEX ON THE SATURDAY. SO WE GIVING RM 30 MINS FOR NOWT THEN.
Not for nowt, they're telling us to come in half an hour later; either this Monday if your day off is Tuesday, this Tuesday if your day off is Monday, or fifteen minutes later on both Monday and Tuesday if your day off is neither of those.
had members taken off pay for refusing this.
Got 1st warning letter myself.
Advice from HQ was that RM action is outwith the terms of the Pay and Mod. In all probability RM using illegal withholding of pay to bully adherence.
Unit Rep submits Stage 1 Disgareement. exhaust IR Framework (28 days) and apply to employment tribunal for recompense.
Individuals submit and exhaust Grievance procedure (28 days) and apply to employment tribunal for recompense.
Since RM at all levels are ignoring the CWU it should be easy enough to exhaust the procedures.
