Getting a permanent contract??

[weakerthan]

Hi there! I have been on a fixed term contract for just over two years now and was wondering how I would go about obtaining a permanent contract. As far as I am aware there is an agreement in place whereby I should be made permanent after two years. Having scoured these forums I see the general advice is to speak to the Union rep but I am not a member of the union. Will I have to become a member in order to obtain a permanent contract? On the other hand speaking to a manager would most likely fall on deaf ears

I also tried ringing HR and they said that the agreement wasnt set in stone and was down to the discretion of my manager

Advice?

[TrueBlueTerrier]

No you shouldn't HAVE to join the Union to get the contract, you could as you suggest keep pushing it with your manager but you will have no official support.
We will give you advice on here obviously, but you would have to do all of the leg work.

Your rep may be willing to assist but that will be their personal choice and shouldn't be relied upon, and its unlikely you'll get Branch support.

However, if you did join the CWU you would get support in this as HQ are pushing it (apparently). You'll also get support for an official interviews you will have during your career and support when you have disagreements with Management.

You could get the permanent contract by yourself and indeed I wish you all the luck, but being honest and truthful its going to much easier and you have much better chance of success if you join the Union.

[Luke Skywalker]

My union rep said I had to be there 4 years??? That it had recently changed. I know it was two years when I started over two years ago.

[crazyshrew]

My union rep said I had to be there 4 years??? That it had recently changed. I know it was two years when I started over two years ago.

By Law after 4 years continuous service a temporary worker should be offered a permanent contract,
As i understand it there was an agreement between RM and the union that temp contracts could be made permanent after 2, nothing says they have to be, but a decent rep should be fighting for perm contracts

[POSTMAN]

http://www.royalmailchat.co.uk/communit ... 42&t=46546" 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.

[weakerthan]

Hey thanks for the helpful replies! I spoke to a manager and our Union rep today. The manager was useless; the Union rep explained my position in detail.

There is a mail centre being closed down 'nearby' (a good 30 miles away) and apparently until everyone there has made a decision about whether they would like a transfer to my office, there is a total lockdown on making temporary workers permanent

By the time this happens I will probably have worked there for four years and will be made permanent by law anyway!

I asked the rep if there was any other avenue I could persue and he said that I could talk to the area rep, but my chances were slim to none.... Should I give up?

[Pinky 1]

No, don't give up , but do heed the reps advice.
On another note why not join the union, then he'll become YOUR rep .......

[makingsounds]

No, don't give up , but do heed the reps advice.
On another note why not join the union, then he'll become YOUR rep .......

I agree, a decent rep should be able to negotiate local deals within revisions etc to make temporary contracts into permanent ones.

[clashcityrocker]

No, don't give up , but do heed the reps advice.
On another note why not join the union, then he'll become YOUR rep .......

I agree, a decent rep should be able to negotiate local deals within revisions etc to make temporary contracts into permanent ones.

There is a bit of the revision process for "local aspirations".
The end of FTCs in the DO should follow a revision.