Any Journalists Trawling this site?/Angard Staffing?

[FUDGEBIRD2009]

I've only been contacted by Angard once, and that was to ask me for the days I worked at Royal Mail that week. Still waiting for a Contract from them. I've called them 3 times and have twice been told that they were sent out on Friday, but that particular 'Friday' has long gone. Even spoke to someone yesterday, and they used the same line of "to be honest, we sent a mass of contracts out on Friday". Only 1 person bothered to take my name and look on their system in which I was informed that a contract had not been sent to me for which she apologised and she said she will send one out in the week. That was Monday, still waiting.

I worked (2 evenings)8 hours last week and 3 hours on Monday evening but that was only because I called the Bookroom daily to enquire about work. Over the past 2 weeks I have only been in 3 times but when I speak to the other Casuals there, they're getting called into work daily by Angard directly and the majority have all been sent contracts, even though some of them haven't got one yet but are still being called in to work by them.

Before the switch over to Angard we were called aside and said that everything will remain the same except that you will be called in to work by Angard instead of the bookroom, and that our pay will also be handled by them. It was made to sound like it would be a seamless transfer. To go from working 6 days a week to nothing is drastic and as such I've given up and am actively looking for work elsewhere.

[mailmonkey]

TO: ALL BRANCHES WITH POSTAL MEMBERS

Latest news at 1320 on Wednesday 21 September 2011

Dear Colleague

ANGARD STAFFING SOLUTIONS LIMITED

(waffle waffle, fudge fudge, waffle, fudge...etc....)


Yours sincerely

Dave Ward
Deputy General Secretary (P)

Nice one Dave! Glad they keepin the members "up-to-date".

[casualnowwithangard]

1st pay slip should have arrived today but hasn't called angard and they are blaming my local mail centre as they haven't sent over sheet confirming what days I work however last friday angard called me up asking me to confirm my hours for the week so they could pay me on time they said once i confirmed my hours they guaranteed i would be paid this week - guarantee what a joke!

[newbie2011]

Hi, I have recently been employed as a casual by royal mail and transferred to anguard from whatever the date was in September. I find it quite strange that I was employed by rm and started late july and wasn't told anything during the induction of the proposed change. I have been working at the same delivery office (not the one I applied for, but that's fine) since I started and have been working every day of my availability. The dom continues to enter my name on the weekly schedule board and when anguard phone several times a week, I tell them I am on the roster at "x" depot. They've told me that's not the way it works, and to make sure my hours are submitted correctly. Last week was the first "anguard" pay and was paid correct and ontime. Confused by a payment of holiday pay, but anyway. Also confused as to why casual/temp workers are paid less than regular workers, I knew from application stage what the rate of pay was, but assumed everyone had the same rate of pay. If anyone was enlighten me on this I would appreciate it. Back to anguard, seems to work okay in my delivery office, I think there's another temp/casual there seems to be doing the same.

[deanomac83]

Wow, I really thought I was hard done by, being on 25 hour p/w fixed hours (rolling contract). Thankfully I am employed by RM direct and not this agency, although I do hope it doesn't change.....Started off as casual for the first month.

[flaminmoses]

Started last Christmas in the Mail centre as a Christmas Casual but along with 9 others was kept on and made RM Casuals and have been busy most of the year with 2 to 3 nights a week. From the offset we all knew the pay rate (min wage + night shift allowance £1.77). I was always available for shifts even at a moments notice this worked well as I often picked up another night on the strength of "are you available tomorrow". I want the night shift as it fits in with family commitments.
As of this week having moved across to Angard I have been offered a 3 hour shift in Ashford (more petrol than wage!!) and delivery work which I have never done. A couple of my night shift casual colleagues went to a delivery office and were turned away as they had had no training!! When I asked about night shifts I was told there were none. This week I have not worked a single shift...thanks Angard .
Much as I understand that there may well be animosity amongst those who think we are just stealing jobs and overtime please remember that I just want to earn some money. I really feel let down by RM

tbf id rather put me feet up and be on the rock n roll than work with those conditions.

even the poles have wised up and are doing the same.

[markadam1962]

Week 2 with Angard and I have worked 1 shift in a fortnight! Well that's the kids back up the chimney again, other half back on the game. Seriously what's the point? Is there work there? I'm willing to work I can't stand waiting by the phone day in day out. Oh did I mention that if your mobile DOES go off and you miss the call Angard will not ring you back. Fed up its Friday and I should be working so the regulars can go on the lash.

[BELIAL]

Has anyone noticed that if you look for a job as a postie nowadays that Royal Mail directs you to a company called Angrad Staffing which is now seemingly providing all non-permanent positions in the company i.e. the bulk of jobs going. The rate of pay quoted by Angard is £5.95 per hour.

Now if Royal Mail were going to use an agency for recruiting casual staff you would have thought that they would use an established company but no, here we have a newly formed organisation that seems to be dedicated to providing staff to Royal Mail.

Listed as a director of the company is a John Duncan. Now this coudn't be the same John Duncan that was not long ago recruited to be Royal Mails Human Resources Director. It also has a director called Kathleen Anne Harmeston. Could this be the same Kathleen Anne Harmeston appointed as director of Royal Mail Innovations Ltd only last April.

If so either Royal Mail are bringing in casual staff on the cheap or someone is making a killing at the expense of Royal Mail.

It would be worth someone with some investigative experience to have a check and see what is going on here.

[POSTMAN]

Do you Angard guys get Royal Mail pay slips?

[newbie2011]

last week's (angrad week 1) payslip was royal mail, exactly the same as previous, can't see no difference, and still posted out as before. speaking with the dom in the delivery office i regularly work at, much at angrads annoyance, and he said that wherever you work, needs to send off your timesheets each week to make sure you get paid, also that angrad runs a different week to royal mail, last week's pay was all okay. any casuals received their contract back from angrad yet?

[shoggoth99]

So the question for temporary (agency) workers for Royal Mail seems to be : Is Angard Staffing organising in-house temporary staffing banks for various Royal Mail functions?

If this is the case then temporary (agency) workers may not be covered by the Agency Workers' Directive.

I have searched for information regarding this but am unable to find clear information in regards to the question. My confusion is caused by not knowing whether (for example) Angard supplying temps for the MDEC is considered 'in-house'.

Thanks to Rizloid for the information he provided.

EDIT: I suppose i'm asking if Angard is the same legal entity as the MDEC.

[TrueBlueTerrier]

check out the Unions LTb at http://www.royalmailchat.co.uk/communit ... rd#p422998" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; it may help, it may not.

[shoggoth99]

check out the Unions LTb at http://www.royalmailchat.co.uk/communit ... rd#p422998" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; it may help, it may not.

Thanks for the link but i had already gone though a lot of available information. The trouble at the moment is finding a solid opinion but i'm not in a position to get any sound legal advice.

If the worst comes to the worst things will become clearer from Saturday onwards when - if temps are covered by the new regulation - access to vacancies in Royal Mail and shared facilities should become available. A lack of this will speak for itself...

[TrueBlueTerrier]

Any Journalists Trawling this site?/Angrad Staffing? - apparently they may well be. http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/city-news/ ... -23450723/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Thread here http://www.royalmailchat.co.uk/communit ... 18&t=39227" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[BELIAL]

If I remember employment law correctly , then any director of an employment agency that recruits staff to undermine wages or break strikes is liable to a £5,000 fine per employee concerned and, a lengthy disbarment. Always did think it very strange that the CWU failed to launch a legal challenge on this point during the last dispute. RM were sitting ducks but our representatives failed to fire?