Union Rep meant to help not hinder me

P739 · Post by **P739** » 27 Mar 2016, 10:23

A little background first had an operation that means i can only use a trolley on delivery which limits me greatly... So a guy in the office who didn't get on with his driver offered me his duty which the managment were fine with because it let me use a trolley..The problem is i don't have a duty of my own and with my current problem getting a duty won't be easy because i need a trolley...Now here is the problem my union want's me taken off this duty and the duty holder to go back on it even though he has said he no longer wants to do it..The managment have said again they are more than happy to leave it as it is..But my union rep is forcing the issue to get me taken off it.. Surely as my rep he should be looking to help me not hinder me as he knows of my health problem.. Me and the union rep have a little history and i think it's personal where do i stand here thanks

IcanthelpthewayIam · Post by **IcanthelpthewayIam** » 27 Mar 2016, 21:10

Depending on how things progressed to get you your duty will affect how this should play out, if your operation meant that you were referred to oh assist and then assessed and now classes you as disabled and then the duty you are on was identified as a reasonable adjustment then everything will be fine as you have went about getting this sorted out correctly and there is nothing the rep can really do to get you shifted

If however it's all been done unofficially between you the other guy and possibly the Dom, then the rep does have a case, whether it suits you and the other duty holder doesn't really matter, if the other postie wanted off the duty and thus creating that duty as a vacancy it should have gone up for signing and the most senior person who wanted it should then get it, think about it in a slightly different way if it was hours, say that was a full time duty and you were on 20 hours but were the most junior part timer, the guy who wanted off the duty and to drop to 20 hours, you and he may be mates so think we will do each other a favour and swap contracts but that means other part timers would be losing out when they should have got that duty before you, that's not the way things should be allowed to happen

So if it's been done unofficially without an oh assist assessment and reasonable adjustment made then the reasons why you have done it don't matter, the rep is correct in fighting this and should be fighting this, the rep is not meant to simply help you, he is there to ensure all members are treated fairly and if things have been unofficially done to help you it may mean that other members are being treated unfairly

P739 · Post by **P739** » 28 Mar 2016, 07:16

Atos were kept informed about my injury and operation they are fully aware of my circumstances and on my return to work i was told to give them a call if there was any problems regarding work ie getting asked to do something that might cause me a problem..So i shall be giving them a call regarding this issue thanks

IcanthelpthewayIam · Post by **IcanthelpthewayIam** » 28 Mar 2016, 10:21

P739 wrote:Atos were kept informed about my injury and operation they are fully aware of my circumstances and on my return to work i was told to give them a call if there was any problems regarding work ie getting asked to do something that might cause me a problem..So is it worth my while giving them a call regarding this issue thanks

Have oh assist assesed you as having a disability covered under the equalities act and recommended this duty as a suitable adjustment?

simply having spoke to them is not doing this officially and your rep has a case to get you off the duty

P739 · Post by **P739** » 28 Mar 2016, 10:39

No but don't have a problem with them they are aware of my circumstance don't have a problem with them seeing me either ..The work knew from the start they would need to find something suitable for me...The surgeon said no more carrying bags of any weight when i seen him for the last time in fact he asked about indoor work said this is something i would need to discuss with royal mail... I will never get full range of movement back on my shoulder in fact get pains while throwing walks in. Will speak with managment about getting assessed regarding this...

IcanthelpthewayIam · Post by **IcanthelpthewayIam** » 28 Mar 2016, 10:49

so in that case everything has been done unofficially, so your rep has a case to get you moved off your duty, sorry but the reasons for you being there don't really matter nothing in writing about needing a reasonable adjustment under the equalities act

you could ask your dom to refer you to oh assist, that may get you assessed but in the mean time there is a distinct possibility you could be moved off that duty if the rep correctly pushes for it, also oh assists recommendation may not simply be to give you that duty they may recommend something else as a reasonable adjustment or they could even recommend ihr depending on the circumstances

P739 · Post by **P739** » 28 Mar 2016, 11:06

Thanks for your input most helpful