new shift trial in some mail centres

paddyd · Post by **paddyd** » 24 Mar 2018, 22:40

anyone know anything about angard offering upto 40hours a week over 6 days, supposedly its a new trial in some mail centres

Post by **paulus103** » 27 Mar 2018, 23:41

no unfortunately not

In mine they have gone the other way and have employed lots of youngsters on Royal Mail 6 month contracts at 20 hours per week (they are working overtime as well)
The Angard shifts available has shrunk a lot - they seem to be directing Angard workers towards 22pm - 6am

Angard is not liked by the management of my Mail Centre - I think Angards days are numbered if I'm honest

VAB18 · Post by **VAB18** » 28 Mar 2018, 16:32

I very much doubt there will be a few P/T Royal Mail and the Union who I imagine would not be happy at that

paddyd · Post by **paddyd** » 28 Mar 2018, 17:02

i always thought if theres overtime angard should get to cover it, the P/T workers have there hours why should they get that aswell, they knew there job wasnt F/T wen they applied,

Post by **Lockardian** » 28 Mar 2018, 18:04

I’m not sure about mail centres in general, but where I work they’ve started block booking people in a week or so in advance, for anything up to five shifts. So you think you have a week’s work to come. Then on the day itself nine times out of ten you get a text cancelling the shift a few hours before it’s due to start.

I realise it’s difficult to forecast the volume of work that far in advance, so surely it would make more sense to wait until nearer the time to book in staff.

VAB18 · Post by **VAB18** » 28 Mar 2018, 19:36

I can get what you are saying but the part times who want to be full time can turn round and say look why are you block booking Angard ov you have full time hours available why not make us full time. That what they could say

Post by **Lockardian** » 28 Mar 2018, 21:09

Yes, but I doubt they are cancelling Angard shifts at a few hours notice because members of RM staff have offered to do overtime/additional hours. Surely the overtime should have been offered before Angard staff were booked. Seems to me they are over-staffing the shifts “just in case” then reassessing at the last minute.

Post by **aiden01** » 28 Mar 2018, 21:14

paddyd wrote:i always thought if theres overtime angard should get to cover it, the P/T workers have there hours why should they get that aswell, they knew there job wasnt F/T wen they applied,

Because ITS THEIR JOB and the agreement is RM staff are given the opportunity of ot before angard staff or casuals are brought in..

Post by **paulus103** » 29 Mar 2018, 00:47

aiden01 wrote:
paddyd wrote:i always thought if theres overtime angard should get to cover it, the P/T workers have there hours why should they get that aswell, they knew there job wasnt F/T wen they applied,
Because ITS THEIR JOB and the agreement is RM staff are given the opportunity of ot before angard staff or casuals are brought in..

Yep this is the situation at the moment in my mail centre - New 20 hour contracted Royal Mail staff and normal RM are working overtime and this is sharply reducing Angard shifts.
The only shift unaffected by this is the night shift as this isn't attractive as over time.
So far in the last week I've seen more shifts cancelled than in previous 2 months
Seems a policy to reduce Angard staffing - especially given the notice board at the sign in point stating the aim to replace agency staff to "improve efficiency"
Most of my hours are managers calling me / Angard asking for me to attend within 30 mins.

The amount of Angard staff isn't sustainable - especially as Angard are forgetting to cancel people and they turn up to no shift

Post by **Navalron** » 04 Apr 2018, 23:18

Paddyd. There RM staff. Your there for energy cover for sickness ect. RM staff should get ALL shifts going and only when every one of them have knocked it back then it goes to yous. Sad but true that I hate vanguard even though I never worked for them, because RM brought them in to f..k up the mail centres and union. The mail centres will be all vanguard in about 5 years and because most of yous don't join the union they will walk all over yous, just like now but even worse where a pool of yous turn up for shifts and they only pick the number they need which will be the a..e lickers and mates.