LTB 684 - Temporary Contracts

[TrueBlueTerrier]

There is also an update to this here...
http://www.royalmailchat.co.uk/communit ... 42&t=46546" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
No. 684

Ref: PTC/MA/jc/020

Date: 6 August 2010

TO ALL BRANCHES WITH POSTAL MEMBERS



Dear Colleague

RE: Temporary Contracts

We have received reports from a number of areas in that Royal Mail are attempting to either cease temporary contracts or extend these contracts to a maximum of four year period. We have contacted the business and reiterated the current procedure which is set out in the MSTF agreement. Royal Mail have agreed to discuss this issue with CWU and we are attempting to arrange a meeting at the earliest opportunity. In the meantime if branches are facing particular difficulties at local level then they should arrange urgent meetings with their respective managers and utilise the terms set out in the MTSF agreement headed "Temporary Contracts" which states:

Royal Mail employees will be employed on substantive contracts except where there is a genuine short term need identified. CWU will be consulted in advance where there is any such requirement. Where such a need is identified specific event and time contracts may be issued for more or less than 12 months with the period of the event being the determining factor. Such contracts will not exceed two years unless it has been jointly agreed that there are very exceptional circumstances.
The joint commitment will be to reduce the current number of temporary contracts by effective resource planning and joint cooperation in securing and implementing operational change covered by national agreements to the required timescales. Individual based business units / recovery programmes will agree with the CWU how they plan to substantiate temporary contract employees, giving priority to those with more than two years service and reviewing progress with CWU on a regular basis.
In addition to the MTSF agreement we circulated LTB 143 dated 13 April 2004 which detailed protection rights under employment legislation for individuals with more than 12 months service and if a temporary contract holder had more than 2 years service. The Union's legal advice was that MTSF redundancy terms should be available to them. Royal Mail Group advised us that an instruction had been issued to substantiate all temporary contract holders with more than two years service. In addition, managers were advised to give preference to temporary contract holders when resourcing vacancies and this would be in line with the spirit set out in the terms of MTSF.

If management are not prepared to adhere to the MTSF agreement, branches are advised to register disagreement and ensure that the status quo is maintained until the full terms of the IR framework are exhausted.

Any enquiries to this LTB should be addressed to Ray Ellis's department, quoting reference PTC/MA/jc/020.


Email address: rellis@cwu.org

Yours sincerely

Ray Ellis
Assistant Secretary

[fishtank]

Trust.........

[dvbuk55]

Trust.........

Me......................I'm a ...................RM Manager/CWU Official/Doctor/Car Salesman/Con Artist...(underline where appropriate, more than one may apply)

[pinstripe]

Trust.........

Me......................I'm a ...................RM Manager/CWU Official/Doctor/Car Salesman/Con Artist...(underline where appropriate, more than one may apply)

Sorry, I know the difference between a doctor and a car salesman and a con artist, but how can you tell which is the RM Manager and which is the CWU Official? (I know what local reps look like, harassed, stressed and p***ed off!)

[drb]

I know what local reps look like, harassed, stressed and p***ed off!)

Yep!!!!!

[sharktc]

hello!
i am in the same situation with temporary contract i've been employed since 2008 and i got the notice in october 2010 that they might not need me after the revision.My question is can they do this? as i've been employed for more than two years i should be permanent by now or not??


Thanks for your help!

[TrueBlueTerrier]

hello!
i am in the same situation with temporary contract i've been employed since 2008 and i got the notice in october 2010 that they might not need me after the revision.My question is can they do this? as i've been employed for more than two years i should be permanent by now or not??


Thanks for your help!

My advice would be to print off the LTB above and take it to your rep and see what he can do, if no luck then ask for it to be escaled to the Area Del Rep. It sounds like the LTB is aimed at people in exactly your situation.

[POSTMAN]

Wasn't there an update on this?

[fishtank]

Wasn't there an update on this?

One or two....
http://www.royalmailchat.co.uk/communit ... ry#p312388" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[POSTMAN]

Updated the 1st page to show the link.
So,no updates on the stitch up that was semi sorted then.
God we're 'ard!

[sharktc]

:( i guess that's me screwed cause i was agency since november 2007 but only started royal mail in september 2008 so i am 2 months short :( :( :( this is so unfair!! i do enjoy the job aswell is this a def then only the ones that had 2 years by july 2010 are the ones who are going permanent?

Thanks again for all your help guys!

[fishtank]

:( i guess that's me screwed cause i was agency since november 2007 but only started royal mail in september 2008 so i am 2 months short :( :( :( this is so unfair!! i do enjoy the job aswell is this a def then only the ones that had 2 years by july 2010 are the ones who are going permanent?

Thanks again for all your help guys!

At the moment but hopefully there will be some movement on that soon.
The longer you are here the more pressure can be applied to force Royal Mail into substantiating your contract.

[sharktc]

:)

Cheers Guys!

[themecolour]

Hi,
I may have posted this in the wrong place but was hoping someone can help.
I am 3 weeks short of my 2 year point and I am on a temp contract till september. I have been assured that I will be needed beyond then but have been hearing whispers that that may not be the case. "do we get rid of the people approaching two years of thoes who have only been here three months"
Whats the thoughts? my rights etc?
Thanks

[fishtank]

Hi,
I may have posted this in the wrong place but was hoping someone can help.
I am 3 weeks short of my 2 year point and I am on a temp contract till september. I have been assured that I will be needed beyond then but have been hearing whispers that that may not be the case. "do we get rid of the people approaching two years of thoes who have only been here three months"
Whats the thoughts? my rights etc?
Thanks

If you have two years or more continuous service as a fixed-term employee, you have the same redundancy rights as permanent employees.
Since you have a contract until september you will be long past that date before your contract terminates.
If RM were to terminate it early they would have to show that it was down to genuine business requirements not just an attempt to circumvent your rights and that would be impossible if they bypassed those with shorter length of service to get rid of you.

There has been some movement lately on temporary contracts...

http://www.royalmailchat.co.uk/communit ... 49#p493990" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

3.2 Royal Mail employees will be employed on permanent contracts, except where there is a genuine short term need identified. CWU will be consulted in advance where there is any such requirement. Temporary contracts will not exceed two years unless it has been jointly agreed that there are very exceptional circumstances. The position of temporary contract employees will be kept under regular review by the local parties, with a view to converting to permanent contracts where and when possible. Additionally, where change programmes have been completed and bedded in, the status of temporary contract employees will be reviewed and converted to permanent contracts unless there is no need for this additional resourcing or where there is an identified and agreed need to continue with a fixed term contract. Royal Mail confirms that as part of the review of this agreement, it is the aspiration to reduce the length of temporary contracts to no more than one year.