How can they change our pay, terms and conditions?

[She Raa]

How can they change our pay, terms and conditions?

How will it be done?

[Jimbobb]

Any employer can change any employees terms and conditions with 90 days notice according to ACAS so I hope the union is fighting for a long term guarantee but at least let us know.

[Glenno]

How can they change our pay, terms and conditions?

How will it be done?

This is so sad, it beggers belief DO SOME RESEARCH..

[She Raa]

How can they change our pay, terms and conditions?

How will it be done?

This is so sad, it beggers belief DO SOME RESEARCH..

Sorry :(

It's just that I was told that those that currently work for RM on what ever pay T&C will retain them untill they retire or leave. It'll be any new people that will be taken on with different contracts of redused pay T&C.

[TrueBlueTerrier]

Any employer can change any employees terms and conditions with 90 days notice according to ACAS so I hope the union is fighting for a long term guarantee but at least let us know.

Yes they are currently asking for a 10 year legally binding agreement from RM, pay will form part of that along with any extant or new agreements.

How can they change our pay, terms and conditions?

How will it be done?

Easy issue you a new contract and as long as it follows the laws in place at the time (consultation, minimum wage etc) you then have 3 choices - leave, sign it or

[TrueBlueTerrier]

Sorry :(

It's just that I was told that those that currently work for RM on what ever pay T&C will retain them untill they retire or leave. It'll be any new people that will be taken on with different contracts of redused pay T&C.

Sorry who ever told you that are, I am afraid, badly informed. City Link and some Eddie Stobbart drivers have recently had they T&Cs reduced either by someone taking over the company (City Link), or their site being bought (Stobbart). Its possible and in fact very common.

[She Raa]

Sorry :(

It's just that I was told that those that currently work for RM on what ever pay T&C will retain them untill they retire or leave. It'll be any new people that will be taken on with different contracts of redused pay T&C.

Sorry who ever told you that are, I am afraid, badly informed. City Link and some Eddie Stobbart drivers have recently had they T&Cs reduced either by someone taking over the company (City Link), or their site being bought (Stobbart). Its possible and in fact very common.

Thankyou terrier. I will let others know

[toofpick]

Can my employer change my contract of employment?

A contract of employment is a legal agreement between the employer and the employee. It contains terms, either express or implied, which cannot lawfully be changed or varied by the employer without further agreement from the employee (either individually or through the recognised trade union).

If the employer is thinking of changing a fundamental term of you and your colleagues contracts it should carry out a consultation early on in its thinking, and before it has decided definitely to proceed.

The employer should meet with affected employees (or their representatives) and explain why it is interested in making the change. It will need to give staff time to consider the proposal as well as to suggest alternative ways of achieving the same result (for example, the employer could save money by doing x instead). If, following receipt of the employees' alternative proposals, the employer decides to go ahead with the change, it can do so but must compensate you for any financial loss associated with the change, and give you sufficient notice of when the change will take effect.

An employee can decide to accept a change, and many terms of the contract are, of course, varied from time to time by mutual consent. For example, it is quite usual for pay to be varied, usually increased, on an annual basis.

In some cases, the contract may contain an express term apparently permitting the employer to make changes from time to time. Even with such a clause, any changes would still need to be reasonable as well as introduced appropriately. Additionally, where changes are made to your contract, employers must give you written notification of the change within 4 weeks.

However, that does not change the fact that an unauthorised, one-sided variation is a breach of the contract of employment. You should consider regularly registering your opposition to the change (e.g. every month) and pursuing a claim in the employment tribunal for unlawful deduction from wages, and a declaration as to what the terms of your contract are. If the change is so fundamental that it goes to the heart of the contract, it may justify your resignation in protest. Such a resignation, if a justified response to your employer's conduct, could be a 'constructive dismissal'.

Resigning is often, however, only advisable where you have another job to go to. An alternative would be to claim that there were two contracts (the original contract and a new version amended by your employer) and that the ending of the first contract amounted to an unfair dismissal. However, the compensation due would be small (essentially a statutory redundancy payment). Also, you would be accepting the change, and your previous time with the employer would no longer count towards your continuity of service.

Note: This content is provided as general background information and should not be taken as legal advice or financial advice for your particular situation. Make sure to get individual advice on your case from your union, a source on our free help page or an independent financial advisor before taking any action.

[post_bitch]

what makes you think they will change it? the company makes 400 million a year do you really think they need to take the change out your pocket?

[Lincox]

The fear of reducing pay is imo less of a concern than the possibility of franchising different elements and placing the burden of cost away from the company and on to the individual. Unless this dispute can be won quickly and cleanly, I fear for those who have years of work ahead of them. This could be an ugly battle which will leave a bigger scar than the 2009/10 fiasco.

[Dorset Plodder]

what makes you think they will change it? the company makes 400 million a year do you really think they need to take the change out your pocket?

Hope you're right PB. However I always tend to look on the pessimistic side where management is concerned. I agree with your principle, "Why rock the boat for a few quid"? With RM though there's the economy of scale...we have 100,000 staff...even if they screw a £1 a week from each of us it's quite a wad of money! Lets hope they don't feel the £1 is worth the agrro.....Another reason to be voting YES!

[fishtank]

However I always tend to look on the pessimistic side

A pessimist is just a realist with relevant experience.

[Dorset Plodder]

I agree FT...Wisdom comes with age. I remember sitting in some briefing or other, in another life, and the old boy next to me was disinterestedly scanning through his newspaper. I was all full of beans for this latest Management Initiative and willing to give it a go..........lovely presentation with slides and view foils....... I asked what he thought of it? "If the Management want to introduce it then it's not going to be good news for the Workers"!

I guess he'd had a lot of relevant experience, and he was right it was all bullshit!

[studmuffin]

what makes you think they will change it? the company makes 400 million a year do you really think they need to take the change out your pocket?

Absolutely yes...

That 400 million will be reduced to 200 million after the shareholders divideds are paid, so they will have to reduce costs and the one of the biggest cost they would reduce down would be the wage bill for those of us that are still left..

It will and will always be shareholders first...
Everything else will be secondary...

[Lincox]

Correct, this business is labour intensive (we provide a service only, no products), and the massive cost is manpower. They only have one target in their sights.