Keeping seniority when moving offices is wrong!!

[postiewhite]

I am a PT reserve and just a year ago I was next in line to get a 3 day cover duty which meant I would know what my days off would be each week plus I would know what duties i'd be covering each week. Since then we have had 2 staff transfers from other offices, both that have been employed longer than me which puts me down the line for potentially years to get a cover duty. One of the lads who moved to our office has been in the royal mail 10 years and had his own duty in another office which is only 4 miles further away from our office he has now transfered to (as he wanted to save petrol costs).So that has pushed 4-5 staff down the pecking order.
I think keeping seniority should only be kept under certain circumstances such as maybe being forced to move house in a different area (partner found another job or closer to family for reasons etc) not because its a transfer of convenience to move to a closer office to home.

[Judgee]

Totally agree. Unless it's a forced moved seniority should not be carried over!

[TrueBlueTerrier]

but who would decide whats forced and what isn't.

Moving to an area where the rent, house prices are cheaper is "forced" but moving jobs to a DO that is closer to your address to reduce commuting costs isn't, yet they are both based on financial considerations.

Whilst it would be a forced move if one unit closed, why would it be fair for them to keep their seniority when older members who transfer to an MC would lose theirs.

Its not perfect but everyone understands the rules. Seniority is based on length of service, not where that service took place.

[Spedley]

Totally disagree, seniority is 'earned' - moving office is not something done lightly. I could move to an office closer to mine (arguably with an easier work load too) but I'm happy working with the colleagues I know and have worked with for decades. There is no reason to punish people who have to move to another office just because you were looking forward to a specific job.

[IcanthelpthewayIam]

One thing to remember no part time postie should have lost out on the chance to increase their hours prior to these transfers in, yes they transfer in with seniority but the transfer should only have happened after all vacancies had been filled internally first

[stroller]

It does not matter if they have transferred into your office they are more senior then you, fact.

A lot of junior boys want to get rid of seniority but they forget when we joined the Post Office we had crap walks crap holidays etc etc.

[deltaforce]

Works both ways. Senior men transfer in and senior men transfer out

[Kick the Bucket]

It does not matter if they have transferred into your office they are more senior then you, fact.

A lot of junior boys want to get rid of seniority but they forget when we joined the Post Office we had crap walks crap holidays etc etc.

"I had it hard when I started, so everyone else should to!" Good attitude to have there.

[stroller]

Kick the Bucket,

Nothing to do with attitude, just stating a fact about seniority, thats the way it goes I am afraid

[Glenno]

One thing to remember no part time postie should have lost out on the chance to increase their hours prior to these transfers in, yes they transfer in with seniority but the transfer should only have happened after all vacancies had been filled internally first

This is the most accurate Quote in this thread, if any probs go speak to your your Rep

[postiewhite]

Ok lets look at it another way.
Imagine Brian the postie that has been employed for 10 years in office A and has been covering duty 1 for 3 years which is due to be advertised and because Brian is the most senior postman without a set duty he is nailed on to get that duty or the next opening if someone else goes for it. Clive has been employed for a day more than Brian who works in office B and has now just transferred to office A. A week later duty 1 becomes advertised and Brian and now Clive go for that position but because Clive has been employed by Royal Mail for 1 day more than Brian he is technically more senior to Brian and gets the duty in his newly relocated office.
Not really that fair is it.

[ThatsNotPlumb]

I agree, there should be some sort of protocol for people that change office in regards to their seniority especally if it's a transfer that wasn't company forced.

Say for example someone of 15 years on a 35 hour contract transfered at his own request, he should be the junior man of the 35 hour contract staff for say the next revision alone if one is due in the DO. Then the following revision after that a few years done the line his seniority should be bumped back to wherever in the pecking order he would have fallen.

[Brainache]

We all have the same opportunity to gain seniority and we all have the same opportunity to move offices, so why shouldnt you take your seniority with you ? Posties with little seniority just have to suck it up and do the years (same as we did).

Losing any seniority when voluntary transferring was scrapped in the Way Forward Agreement - I got 7 years back .

[TrueBlueTerrier]

Ok lets look at it another way.
Imagine Brian the postie that has been employed for 10 years in office A and has been covering duty 1 for 3 years which is due to be advertised and because Brian is the most senior postman without a set duty he is nailed on to get that duty or the next opening if someone else goes for it. Clive has been employed for a day more than Brian who works in office B and has now just transferred to office A. A week later duty 1 becomes advertised and Brian and now Clive go for that position but because Clive has been employed by Royal Mail for 1 day more than Brian he is technically more senior to Brian and gets the duty in his newly relocated office.
Not really that fair is it.

I think it is and I am at the bottom 20% of seniority in my office, and even if I stay for another 16 years till I retire I will never got higher than half way.

I think rewarding loyalty is fair, in fact so does the law. In fact on the next revision I become a spare because of recent transfers on less hours than I, will have first pick due to their seniority. As they say in the forces, its something you have to suck up and then carry on with.

[Spedley]

The only other point I should say is that new posties and those on low hour contracts should NOT be shafted. In our office, they never know what job they will be on, Tuesday off is common (even when covering a duty that does not have Tuesday off), long weekends once per year, the bigger jobs with more packages and travelling.

You should really be treated like a floater (relief), i.e. these are the jobs you will be expected to learn and if anyone is on leave or sick you will be on one of them, if this not be appropriate then RM should 'ask' you to change duty.