Cumnock Royal Mail workers head for tribunal

[TrueBlueTerrier]

http://www.ayrshirepost.net/ayrshire-ne ... -24812901/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

POSTIES in Cumnock were forced to work for nothing after a row with bosses.

More than half the workforce were told their wage would be withheld when they refused to work 30 minutes of overtime.

Now the two sides will clash at an employment tribunal, with workers furious at their treatment by the Royal Mail.

Farcical scenes erupted last Friday as 28 employees were told to work an extra half hour – or have their wage packet for the day withheld.

But despite the angry stand-off, posties continued on their rounds to deliver the mail for free.

Ayrshire union rep Tam Dewar revealed: “We have a voluntary agreement with the company which allows staff to fit overtime in with other family commitments.

“The Royal Mail are now trying to say this is compulsory, but no contract exists and no agreement has ever been signed.

“They cannot force people to work overtime, yet for some reason they seem to think they can, and if you don’t like it you won’t be paid.”

The row comes hot on the heels of the postal strikes which have crippled the service.

Mail is backlogged for up to a week as sorting offices struggle to get back to normal.

And Tam added: “All our customers know there is a backlog of mail up and down the country – a lot of them depend on a regular and early service for the sake of their business.

“Postal workers want to get on with the job of delivering it.

“They develop a good relationship with their customers and have the view that it’s their responsibility to deliver the mail.”

A Royal Mail spokesman added: “This is about Royal Mail’s pay and modernisation agreement, which the CWU signed up to in 2007 and all staff were paid an extra £400 for.

“Royal Mail is asking our people to abide by this agreement, which they have already accepted and which has been implemented in the majority of offices across Scotland.

“The agreement centres around our people working flexibly within their contracted hours, where we ask them to work an extra half an hour a week.

“Within this flexibility agreement, Royal Mail also recognises domestic arrangements if staff let us know where issues arise.”

[spilie]

this is what comes of stupid agreements, who in thier right mind would ever have even considered this 30 min flex,these are the kind of things we must avoid we need straight forward agreements with no "wriggle room"

[axeman]

bit of a contradiction ' we ask them to work an extra half hour ' yet the same breath says ' within contracted hours' could be dynamite in a court of law

[gus]

members in cumnock have requested of london cwu headquarters to send up an official and also legal representation ,guess
what no reply might just take cwu to task for loss of members wages ,all talk no action.

[Stormproof]

A Royal Mail spokesman added: “This is about Royal Mail’s pay and modernisation agreement, which the CWU signed up to in 2007 and all staff were paid an extra £400 for.

I thought the £400 was for Share in Success and nothing to do with being shafted

[mailsort6]

The Pay and Modernisation Agreement 2007 should never have been accepted and this is why offices are on strike because of the loopholes within the Agreement. The £400 was not enough we should have got £4000 and then more posties would be willing to do 30 minutes extra when required, why do it for nothing whilst managers enjoy their big bonues. Go luck to these posties.

[wranglered]

members in cumnock have requested of london cwu headquarters to send up an official and also legal representation ,guess
what no reply might just take cwu to task for loss of members wages ,all talk no action.

Gus...you are on your own mate!

I had to go to an ET on my own. PM me if you or your colleagues need any tips.

I represent people for a living now...........

[spilie]

if it is tied to the £400 then what about part time staff? they only got pro-rata so is thier so called flex less than 30 mins? good luck guys but a piss poor performance by the area cwu, they should have given notice straight away and brought all offices that have already been balloted out.

[gus]

was not fault of area rep ,let down by divisional head at glasgow no change there.

[brothermagrew]

Pay and Employment Contracts:
It is an implied term of every employee's contract of employment that the employer will pay him or her wages. In return the employee must be ready and willing to perform all of his or her duties under the contract.

There are two types of obligation to which an employee may be bound. It is a question of the terms of the individual contract whether an employee falls into the former or the latter of these two categories:

http://www.personneltoday.com/articles/ ... racts.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[heston]

we are employed on a 40 hour contract,,,30 mins flex as per pay n mod agreement is subject to an individual agreement,and is for special circumstances,to implement without agreement is a form of bullying,as is removing staff from pay,having changed and implemented the normal working contracted hours by adding 30 mins has changed our terms and conditions of our implied terms,thus illegal,any change must be subject to negotiation and agreement,and not at the whim of bullyboy managers intent on causing unofficial action,

[mailsort6]

When RM and CWU constructed the Pay and Modernisation Agreement the CWU should have said no to working 30 minutes extra when required. Each postie will be working 30 mintues probably each week or each month for the rest of their working life whilst at RM for nothing, whilst managers at all levels receive big bonues for the extra time you have put in for no pay, how does this make you feel?

[stokes11eg]

Very good luck to the lads and lasses--unless they have signed an agreement alowing for the stoppage or deduction of wages, they stand a reasonable chance of winning,BUT WHERE IS THE UNION? They should have been taking this action months ago on behalf of us-