New Agreement - Contract hours based on last 6 months

[answer=42]

From the agenda for growth pamphlet

'Full time employees will remain full time unless they volunteer to reduce their hours. Part time employees can retain their current contractual hours if they wish. Part time employees also have the opportunity to increase their contractual hours to reflect the actual hours they have worked on average over the previous 6 month period'

I have asked local and area reps about how we apply to increase our contractual hours to, if not in total reflect the actual hours worked over the last 6 months, at least to increase them to a level closer than the contract I am on now. Nothing. Nada. A shrug of the shoulders, they aren't going to do that, is what I am told. I have emailed the CWU. No answer from there either.

Questions for a Union rep in the know.
1. Is this part of the agreement being upheld. If not, why not?
2. As part of the new agreement should such applications be supported by the Union?
3. How do we apply?

[rehabron]

From the agenda for growth pamphlet

'Full time employees will remain full time unless they volunteer to reduce their hours. Part time employees can retain their current contractual hours if they wish. Part time employees also have the opportunity to increase their contractual hours to reflect the actual hours they have worked on average over the previous 6 month period'

I have asked local and area reps about how we apply to increase our contractual hours to, if not in total reflect the actual hours worked over the last 6 months, at least to increase them to a level closer than the contract I am on now. Nothing. Nada. A shrug of the shoulders, they aren't going to do that, is what I am told. I have emailed the CWU. No answer from there either.

Questions for a Union rep in the know.
1. Is this part of the agreement being upheld. If not, why not?
2. As part of the new agreement should such applications be supported by the Union?
3. How do we apply?

This is a very grey area covered in the agreement for as you will be aware that there is normally a downturn in volumes of mail during the summer period so for instance when the AFG&S agreement was ratified in the beginning f the year in the first 6 months from January to June you may have been required by RM to work overtime on a regular basis over your contracted hours and the agreement states that you will have the opportunity to extend your contracted hours reflecting regular hours worked in that 6 month period.
As there is a decline in mail volumes you would be asking your employer for increased contractual hours in the beginning of the period of the downturn therefore making it difficult for contractual hours to be increased.
In answer to your questions:-
1. There will be colleagues who have in their office had their contractual hours increased but would probably not apply throughout the business.
2.The union would support an application for increased contractual hours and if you are in a position to support your application showing the amount of hours you have worked in the previous 6 months then your local union rep should take the matter up on your behalf.
3. Would suggest that you write in the first instance to your union rep of your situation and on the feedback you can decide on how to progress with this matter.

[DICKIEG]

This is the first ive heard of this, but I too would be interested in upping my hours, im on delivery, contracted to do 30 hours, but do 15 hours a week o/t, im also a 1 in 6 and nearly always work my week off. Does this agreement cover all functions. Thanx in advance. Just downloaded the agreement but cant see were it says about if you've worked the o/t in the previous 6 months

[datasaint]

This is the first ive heard of this, but I too would be interested in upping my hours, im on delivery, contracted to do 30 hours, but do 15 hours a week o/t, im also a 1 in 6 and nearly always work my week off. Does this agreement cover all functions. Thanx in advance

Wouldn't any increase in hours have to follow seniority?

[clashcityrocker]

This was a badly worded agreement.
The possibility of increasing your contracted hours was only if you were doing those hours against your own duty.
So if you were contracted for delivery only but were continually asked to come in and prep as well, there may be the possibility of increasing your contracted hours.
Possibility.
If those overtime hours were due to the office carrying vacancies, or due to a high level of sick absence - it wouldn't necessarily count because those hours may not always be there.
It wouldn't count if your office was still pre revision because the revision and the model week would determine a p/timers contract.
Any area due to have TNT delivering on their streets would be unlikely to see an increase in anyone's hours.

[DICKIEG]

As the only ones that do o/t are full time apart from me and 2 others who are both 28 ho, if seniority come into it i would be top anyway with nearly 4 years

[dvbuk55]

I can understand how this becomes a grey area: lets say for example there is x number of hours overtime available for your office and you choose to work those hours instead of someone else - the overtime hours are by choice and wouldn't necessarily be classified as an extension of hours. In another example lets say you are scheduled on a regular duty that goes beyond your 30 hours contract as a matter of course on a daily basis then that would be a case to be answered under the terms of the agreement.

[daveyeff]

I can understand how this becomes a grey area: lets say for example there is x number of hours overtime available for your office and you choose to work those hours instead of someone else - the overtime hours are by choice and wouldn't necessarily be classified as an extension of hours. In another example lets say you are scheduled on a regular duty that goes beyond your 30 hours contract as a matter of course on a daily basis then that would be a case to be answered under the terms of the agreement.

elegantly put dvbuk

[Lincox]

Not only is this a badly worded agreement, but there would be absolutely no need for it at all if Royal Mail and CWU had reached an agreement that holidays and sickness would be paid on the basis of average weekly hours worked over the previous six months.

[answer=42]

Thanks for the replies. Considering that in the last 24 hours we've lost a bunch of part timers on temporary contracts and those on temporary full time contracts have had that taken off them I don't think it's the best time to be asking for an increase in contract hours!

ps Post revision office, 23.5 hour contract, average hours per week for last 6 months 35 (no prep and no volunteering for overtime). If I work that many hours a week on delivery I think I should get paid the right amount of delivery supplement and the right amount of holiday pay. Not unreasonable is it.

[dvbuk55]

Thanks for the replies. Considering that in the last 24 hours we've lost a bunch of part timers on temporary contracts and those on temporary full time contracts have had that taken off them I don't think it's the best time to be asking for an increase in contract hours!

ps Post revision office, 23.5 hour contract, average hours per week for last 6 months 35 (no prep and no volunteering for overtime). If I work that many hours a week on delivery I think I should get paid the right amount of delivery supplement and the right amount of holiday pay. Not unreasonable is it.

You are of course correct, but it is still a grey area at RMs behest - for the last 6 months you have worked 35 hours continuously however that could change so easily by having you work your contractual hours for the next fortnight and so on................ your continuous work rate of 35 hours a week - gone.

[clashcityrocker]

If I work that many hours a week on delivery I think I should get paid the right amount of delivery supplement.

You have.
Your overtime up to 39 hours includes the 54p (approx.)/hour that is the delivery supplement.

[BernardBresslaw]

How does it work for people on temporary full-time contracts who have signed for their own full-time duty? Said person has been on it for over 2 years now.

[dvbuk55]

How does it work for people on temporary full-time contracts who have signed for their own full-time duty? Said person has been on it for over 2 years now.

IMO it is one of those cases that should be taken up by the union as part of the agreement to see if RM abide by it or if they claim some sort of legal get out clause.

[BernardBresslaw]

How does it work for people on temporary full-time contracts who have signed for their own full-time duty? Said person has been on it for over 2 years now.

IMO it is one of those cases that should be taken up by the union as part of the agreement to see if RM abide by it or if they claim some sort of legal get out clause.

When I say 'signed for' he signed for the round pre-revision, had his contract made up to temporary full-time, then when it came up for the revision re-pick a year later, signed for the same round again and is currently on it.

In the mean time, other part-timers have been made up to full-time without restrictions by picking full-time jobs that were advertised, so it is clear that the policy changed after he signed for his duty.