Questions in the House on Monday 30th

[cafedelaposte]

I had a meeting with my MP today after contacting him several weeks ago about the Angard fiasco. Like many people I have tried to contact Angard over a long period of time and have become frustrated at the lack of response to basic questions from call centre staff who do not know anything and can tell you even less. Yesterday I had a call from Angard ( I know it's hard to believe) to tell me that my holday pay would be paid next week. Imagine my astonishment to find that I had been paid today and that the amount was correct.

Earlier in the week I sent a discosure of information request to Angard ( copied from this forum) and sent a copy to my MP David Hanson. At my meeting today we had a good discussion about the problems with Angard for a large number of casuals over Christmas. He thought that I was an individual case but since my first contact with him he has received a number of complaints from casual staff. He described the problem as "systemic" within Angard and is using the disclosure request to table a series of questions in Parliament next Monday and is concerned about many of the issues put forward in this forum.

I would urge everyone to contact their MP and put pressure on Royal Mail for a full disclosure of the facts.

[philh45]

And no doubt Royal Mails full disclosure will be to spin the same line that "regrettably a small number of temporary workers were paid incorrectly",and the media will fall for it.

[markadam1962]

Please ask you MP's to mention also the "real" agency behind the whole mess. REED.

Obviously RM had a big panic on when the AWR (Agency Working Regulations) were on the horizon last year that RM wanted help!

Royal mail panicked as they did not realise that so much work was already undertaken by "casual" labour.

REED as a supplier of "agency workers" already for RM and the authors of http://www.reedglobal.com/employer/reso ... ations.php" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Probably told RM ..

""LETS INVENT ANGARD"" Ha ha ho "Doubles all round". (Read their own brief that says they "can help clients")

ANGARD DOES NOT EXIST ITS REED AND ALWAYS HAS BEEN FROM DAY ONE

THIS THIS WHOLE ONGOING SHAMBLES DOWN TO ONE THING "Saving Money! ????? REED AND ROYAL MAIL

[Verging]

Can we get him to ask when will Royal Mail / Angard / REED tell us what we are entitled to as a result of the Agency Worker Regulations - some of us start our 18th week tomorrow since 1st October and still do not know what entitlements we will get. They seem to be stalling and not prepared for this at all.

Also, could you get him to ask what legislation gives Royal Mail the right to force Illegal break times on Angard workers. We get 15 minutes for between 5 hours and 6 hours 59 minutes work : the minimum legal requirement for 6 hours is 20 minutes according to the DirectGov, BIS and ACAS websites. Copy of Royal Mail induction handbook for Angard Staff is on this forum, in the stickies section, if he needs to check it.

[Verging]

Anyone know what was said in Parliament? Not heard anything and can not see what Hansard has to say yet.

[cafedelaposte]

I think that written questions submitted on Monday will not appear in Hansard. As soon as I get some news from David Hanson I will post it a.s.a.p. He seems genuinely concerned and wrote to me last sat ( a day after my meeting with him) saying he had written to Angard and the post office Minister as well asking for replies to the freedom of information requests. I spoke to Angard today ( their call centre) and was told that they had no plans to pay mobile phone costs or reimburse casuals for time spent contacting them or overdraft payments caused by the non payment of wages. I will continue to press this point with David Hanson.