workback at xmas

[davethepostie]

i haven't really had time to trawl the board so apologies if anyone else has brought this up. at manchester mail centre we have to work back time over xmas. we have many options but basically we are to work boxing day and new years day night. this obviously only affects the night shift workers. i was wondering is this definitely a national agreement as when out office took in bolton oldham and stockport work and staff the bolton staff say they have never done this at their previous office. hope some people from other centres around the country can help on this.

[PhilthyPhil]

3 Attendance and Resourcing Arrangements

3.1 Tuesday 25 and Wednesday 26 December are the Christmas Day and Boxing Day Bank Holidays. There will be no USO collections or deliveries on these days

3.2 Tuesday 1 January 2013 is the designated New Year Bank Holiday (plus Wednesday 2 January in Scotland) There will be no USO collections or deliveries on 1 January (and 2 January in Scotland)

3.3 As agreed in 2004, people will not be required to make up hours they would have worked arising from the bank holidays or non USO days In line with normal bank holiday arrangements people who would normally be scheduled to work on the day of the Bank Holidays in the provision of USO collection and delivery services will not be required to attend (with the exception of some Network Professional Drivers) and not be required to make up the hours. (i.e. there will be no claw back)


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[davethepostie]

thanks for that although i am still dim/confused. as night workers we don't work monday night christmas eve or new years eve so is it right then that we are due to attend from midnight on boxing day and new years day?

[Pinky 1]

Although i don't have an answer for you, i think you would be better off re-posting this query in the Mail Centres/Proccessing/Distribution thread where it is more likely to be seen, rather than in Blue Shirts. Or maybe a Mod could move it ?

[TrueBlueTerrier]

Although i don't have an answer for you, i think you would be better off re-posting this query in the Mail Centres/Proccessing/Distribution thread where it is more likely to be seen, rather than in Blue Shirts. Or maybe a Mod could move it ?

[PhilthyPhil]

thanks for that although i am still dim/confused. as night workers we don't work monday night christmas eve or new years eve so is it right then that we are due to attend from midnight on boxing day and new years day?

sorry, should have posted the whole thing....


3 Attendance and Resourcing Arrangements

3.1 Tuesday 25 and Wednesday 26 December are the Christmas Day and Boxing Day Bank Holidays. There will be no USO collections or deliveries on these days

3.2 Tuesday 1 January 2013 is the designated New Year Bank Holiday (plus Wednesday 2 January in Scotland) There will be no USO collections or deliveries on 1 January (and 2 January in Scotland)

3.3 As agreed in 2004, people will not be required to make up hours they would have worked arising from the bank holidays or non USO days In line with normal bank holiday arrangements people who would normally be scheduled to work on the day of the Bank Holidays in the provision of USO collection and delivery services will not be required to attend (with the exception of some Network Professional Drivers) and not be required to make up the hours. (i.e. there will be no claw back)


3.4 Rest days will apply in line with normal year round arrangements. Attendances may be varied by local agreement to take account of workload forecasts and service requirements. Where workload requires people can volunteer to work their normal rest day in return for a day in lieu or scheduled attendance

Where a rest day falls on a Bank Holiday (i.e. 25, 26 December or 1 January, plus 2 January in Scotland) and it is not operationally sensible to transfer the rest day to another day in the same week people will receive an additional day holiday (including those working ‘a week off in six’ or other variations on this theme) in the form of a day in lieu or alternatively the excess hours can be taken as normal overtime

3.5 In order to comply with the USO, night shifts should normally resume at the scheduled time on 26 December and 1 January (2 January in Scotland). Local Christmas discussions/arrangements should ensure that agreed staffing arrangements are in place to meet these obligations in full, while balancing employee aspirations utilising a full range of resourcing options. Staff who attend will receive the normal bank holiday premium for hours worked on the bank holidays.

3.6 Weekend duty holders (notional full timers and people who make three or less attendances each week) will have separate scheduling arrangements based on the same principles as in previous years.

3.7 Local flexibility agreements and the National Pay and Modernisation agreement phase 3 annexes A and B will apply and be utilised during the Christmas period. Both parties will explore opportunities to give people time off where possible consistent with customer and operational requirements.

[Stampy]

Been told we HAVE to work Boxing Day night AND New Years Night else we will be taken down the Conduct Code.

[davethepostie]

thanks for clearing that up. the confusion mainly arose because staff from other offices say they have never had to do it before. assuming they are being truthful it would seem some mail centres have not bothered impementing it in the past. we have been told the same thing will happen for the next 2 years as well as it always has done. strange that as i don't recall ever doing it before for 3 years in a row. ah well a short xmas break for us it is!!

[Ellen Ripley]

Night shift in our mail centre have been told to come in to work Boxing day night & New years day night although 40% of staff may use an odd day off to not attend [if they have a odd day off] so they want 60% staff in attendence.

However we have also been told we can not have option A day in lieu, and we only get £8-odd an hour rate ....can't remember the exact amount given cos i was in shock after it was said.

Ellen

[PhilthyPhil]

Night shift in our mail centre have been told to come in to work Boxing day night & New years day night although 40% of staff may use an odd day off to not attend [if they have a odd day off] so they want 60% staff in attendence.

However we have also been told we can not have option A day in lieu, and we only get £8-odd an hour rate ....can't remember the exact amount given cos i was in shock after it was said.

Ellen

For the day off in lieu it has to be an attendance of more than 2 hours on a bank holiday. Which, assuming a 22:00 start time for night shift, you would not be doing so are not entitled to it. You would only get it if you start before 22:00 on the bank holiday night.

[ttekceb]

Bolton staff HAVE worked on a boxing/new years night in the past!! If there's a delivery directly due the day after it has always been a mid night start for duty staff with a few in pre midnight on BH OT rates.

[Ellen Ripley]

Night shift in our mail centre have been told to come in to work Boxing day night & New years day night although 40% of staff may use an odd day off to not attend [if they have a odd day off] so they want 60% staff in attendence.

However we have also been told we can not have option A day in lieu, and we only get £8-odd an hour rate ....can't remember the exact amount given cos i was in shock after it was said.

Ellen

For the day off in lieu it has to be an attendance of more than 2 hours on a bank holiday. Which, assuming a 22:00 start time for night shift, you would not be doing so are not entitled to it. You would only get it if you start before 22:00 on the bank holiday night.

Yes but in previous years RM has changed the start times to 21:00hr so people may choose option A day in lieu to make it worth while coming in on a BH... so why not this year?
Also, £8 - odd an hour rate for woking on a BH? This may be a mistake but if not it's very mean, too mean, i think no one will bother work any time on the BH and start at Mid-night. Although that is maybe what they want all along.

[The Backbone]

I think they are aiming on people using leave when the mails quiet and banking 2hrs off each OPG and also saving money as nobody will want to come in for the extra £8ph. I personally would like to see the whole night shift attend for the 6hrs and not use a days leave so everybody can come into a very quiet shift and use their AL time when the company needs them for a full shift.
Royal Mail are really hitting us with everything they can,so its upto us not to lie over and let them have their wishes come true..

[tinkerdil]

The Xmas arrangments as agreed by the National Executive seem clear enough. "Night shifts should normally resume at the scheduled time on 26th Dec" and "Normal Bank Holiday premiem" to apply. So in the case in Manchester, nights attend 2200 to mid at £14.10 per hr (i think, it could be £14.20) because the day in lieu is not an option and then from mid to 0600 normal hours.
What is not clear is the 2 hours on Christmas eve 2200 to mid. Royal Mail now say these 2 hours are also owed. In Manchester local arrangments were all but agreed whereby staff could work back 6 hours either in mid week or on a sunday leading up to Christmas. This has now been withdrawn and they want night staff to work back 8 hours, to include 2hrs Christmas Eve.
Unfortunately the Xmas arrangments as agreed by the National Executive do not seem to make any reference to the 2hrs Christmas Eve.
It is now becoming a major issue with the Manchester night shift. What is needed is a reason why the 2hrs Christmas Eve should not be owed or worked back. If it is indeed 'claw back' then why?

[curlybap]

it is a disgrace that night shift have to work on boxing night,it more or less robs you of enjoying the holiday as there is little socialising to be done when you have to attend work that night,what is wrong with royal mail asking for a non service day,after all you knock your pan in in the run up to the big day all for two nights off,it just pushes the sick up.