no more full time contracts?

[newbie2011]

Not sure if I'm missing something here, but during our meeting today held by our union rep, he was explaining how rm are trying to "get rid" of full time contracts. Now, I'm on a part time contract, as after returning from maternity leave was told I couldn't go back on full time hours like I was on before, I could only do a 32 hours contract. So this year, I've earnt more than a full time person due to the amount of overtime I work. Most weeks I work 5/6 day weeks, and I need the extra day to meet my essential living expenses. So, every week, I get at least one day overtime, yet am told I can't have a full time contract. This makes my life difficult when I take holiday leave as I struggle to cope with the 4 days pay because my budget is very very tight. Also, I had the situation where I was off sick due to a muscular injury incurred during work, but had to return earlier than advised because I simply couldn't cope financially on my 4 days pay. I think it's quite demoralising when I work my arse off on every day off, yet we're now employing 2 more part time workers in my office, so that will reduce the amount of overtime I will get, but no matter how much asking I do, I just can't get a full time contract. My dom and union rep say that rm won't allow me to go full time. I know some people may think get another job, but the hours suit around my baby, and I couldn't find anywhere in my rural area which pays as well. Any thoughts on this would be appreciated, I don't mean to sound ungrateful for my overtime, but just at a loose end.

[fishtank]

Now, I'm on a part time contract, as after returning from maternity leave was told I couldn't go back on full time hours like I was on before, I could only do a 32 hours contract.

Who told you that?

[newbie2011]

the dom at the time, he also had issues that I was struggling to get a childminder for Saturdays at 6am in the morning as i'm a single mum, we negotiated it but he wasn't happy about it, but I can now work any Saturday due to having a partner now who can look after my baby, but I had minimal flexibility towards the Saturdays and that was part of the reason why I couldn't go back full time. my union rep has checked this with the area union rep or whoever, and apparently rm don't have to accommodate my alternate saturdays, which was all I could get childminding for (I think this may be wrong though!). when I wanted to return I couldn't return to my delivery office even, I had to return to another office until my office could accommodate me.

[slinder123]

surely if you were full time before you had your child they cannot reduce your hours when you come back

[TrueBlueTerrier]

Employers can’t change a pregnant employee’s contract terms and conditions without agreement - if they do they are in breach of contract.

https://www.gov.uk/working-when-pregnant-your-rights" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

When you return to work after having a baby, you have the right to go back to the same job on the same terms and conditions as before you went on maternity leave. But with these rights come responsibilities, such as giving your employer plenty of notice if you plan to go back early or want to ask for flexible working arrangements.

https://www.moneyadviceservice.org.uk/e ... ing-a-baby" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[dave0876]

Can i just ask how has your rep allowed this to happen or do they even know.If i were your rep i would be doing this to your DOM or should i say DUM.

[zzzidane]

I sympathise with you. Its a disgrace that Royal Mail are doing things like this & are allowed to get away with it. I am on a 25 hour part time contract but I am consistently asked to work extra hours and my days off, which I do because like yourself & everyone else, I have bills to pay too! I regularly work 45/50 hour weeks & would love a full time contract but we all know that is never going to happen. The RM save too much money by only having to pay us our 25 or 32 or however many part time hours we are contracted to when we are on holiday or are off sick. But they know they need us (all part timers that is) to work over our hours for the 48 weeks of the year we are at work. How on earth is anyone expected to get a mortgage etc?? The union seems useless on the matter too. If RM are getting rid of Full timers on VR's & trying to make some of them buy down there hours so they become PT's instead of FT's surely the percentage agreement of 75% FT & 25% PT is going to reverse and thus go against the agreement?? It makes me laugh when managers & union reps say, there will be opportunities to go from a PT to a FT contract but its funny that in my office over a dozen FT's have left (retirement, sacked, new job etc) but no PT's have been made up to replace them!
Absolute joke

[Lounge Lizard]

I sympathise with you. Its a disgrace that Royal Mail are doing things like this & are allowed to get away with it. I am on a 25 hour part time contract but I am consistently asked to work extra hours and my days off, which I do because like yourself & everyone else, I have bills to pay too! I regularly work 45/50 hour weeks & would love a full time contract but we all know that is never going to happen. The RM save too much money by only having to pay us our 25 or 32 or however many part time hours we are contracted to when we are on holiday or are off sick. But they know they need us (all part timers that is) to work over our hours for the 48 weeks of the year we are at work. How on earth is anyone expected to get a mortgage etc?? The union seems useless on the matter too. If RM are getting rid of Full timers on VR's & trying to make some of them buy down there hours so they become PT's instead of FT's surely the percentage agreement of 75% FT & 25% PT is going to reverse and thus go against the agreement?? It makes me laugh when managers & union reps say, there will be opportunities to go from a PT to a FT contract but its funny that in my office over a dozen FT's have left (retirement, sacked, new job etc) but no PT's have been made up to replace them!
Absolute joke

Yes, I've some sympathy with you but it's not quite the disgrace of the best part of a million workers in Britain now on zero hour contracts.

[dvbuk55]

I sympathise with you. Its a disgrace that Royal Mail are doing things like this & are allowed to get away with it. I am on a 25 hour part time contract but I am consistently asked to work extra hours and my days off, which I do because like yourself & everyone else, I have bills to pay too! I regularly work 45/50 hour weeks & would love a full time contract but we all know that is never going to happen. The RM save too much money by only having to pay us our 25 or 32 or however many part time hours we are contracted to when we are on holiday or are off sick. But they know they need us (all part timers that is) to work over our hours for the 48 weeks of the year we are at work. How on earth is anyone expected to get a mortgage etc?? The union seems useless on the matter too. If RM are getting rid of Full timers on VR's & trying to make some of them buy down there hours so they become PT's instead of FT's surely the percentage agreement of 75% FT & 25% PT is going to reverse and thus go against the agreement?? It makes me laugh when managers & union reps say, there will be opportunities to go from a PT to a FT contract but its funny that in my office over a dozen FT's have left (retirement, sacked, new job etc) but no PT's have been made up to replace them!
Absolute joke

Yes, I've some sympathy with you but it's not quite the disgrace of the best part of a million workers in Britain now on zero hour contracts.

It's close to 2 million now LL it was on TV today that there was 1.8 million contracts this year up from 1.4 million last year.

[the mad woman]

I am on full time and 2 of us in our office wanted to do a job share 20 hours each we have been told this is no longer allowed as Royal Mail not doing anymore job shares how do they expect us at 63 to keep this pace up for another few years is just a joke we can't physically do this for much longer so it's not just part timers that can't change hours