Seniority question. Re-employment/career break form

[twangy1]

Hi guys I have looked through the forum but wanted to post for some clarity on an issue I've got regarding seniority.

I worked for Royal Mail for 4 years, left on good terms and they said I could come back anytime if there are vacancies. 3 months later I really hated my new job so emailed my DOM to see if there were any jobs going. He said there were, and also stated that because I had left within 6 months I could just come straight back without the need for re-applying.

So that's what we did. I had to fill out a re-employment form/career break form and then a week after I was employed again by Royal Mail with a 5 hour a week cut, same pay number, same log in details, still had CWU payments coming out. Everything is exactly the same as what it was before I left.

There has been some confusion going on round the office to whether I can keep my seniority or not and I really want to find out if there is a way of getting it back.

The 2002 agreement states that I can get it back under 'exceptional circumstances' agreed at a local level and my rep has told me that as I left on my own accord he does not want to give me the seniority back.

I have read on here that you can get it back if you've been left and then re-employed within 6 months but then the thread fizzled out before this got clarified. I'm just wondering whether there is a link between the fact that I got back in by filling out the re-employment/career break form and retaining the seniority, therefore bypassing the 2002 agreement that states 'exceptional circumstances'.

Does anybody have any advise?

Thanks

[IcanthelpthewayIam]

No way round this you resigned and then came back, it wasn't a career break which would have been different, rep is correct it is down to local agreement

now remember it's local agreement not agreement of rep, it's not your reps decision to make its your office who agrees or not, your rep should have a vote on it to find out if it can be a be a local agreement or not regardless of his opinion on it

though on the upside just remember for annual leave entitlement those previous years count

[nickbsmooth]

Similar thing happened to me I left for greener grass,only to realise it wasn't so green.
So I went back within 4months,my seniority started allover again. The worst part was I rejoined just after they stopped final salary pension.