Where Does A Reduction To A 35-Hour Week Leave Part-Timers?

Natagora · Post by **Natagora** » 02 Jun 2017, 20:06

Obviously there's been lots of mention of this reduction in hours as part of the 'Four Pillars' thing. What about part-time staff though? My contract is 31.5 hours and there's also lots of 26 hour staff in our office. Does anyone know what would happen to the number of hours that we would be working? Small reduction like the full-time staff or no change?

clashcityrocker · Post by **clashcityrocker** » 02 Jun 2017, 20:11

An increase in your hourly pay rate.

Post by **bustedflush** » 02 Jun 2017, 20:21

I dunno about 'Four Pillars' more like the '4 Horsemen of the Apocalypse' as far as terms and conditions are concerned. I presume that if you were under the target week of 35 hours your hourly rate would have to rise to the new effective rate the FT's would be on after the hours-reduction. As stated above.

Natagora · Post by **Natagora** » 02 Jun 2017, 20:30

I'm trying to find out how many actual hours work would be involved here. Not really thinking about pay right now. Obviously 39 hours becomes 35 for full-time staff; would there be a similar reduction in hours for 31.5 and 26 hour staff?

Post by **SpacePhoenix** » 02 Jun 2017, 20:48

Won't work without RM employing extra staff. Generally all shifts in all MCs go to the wire as it is, and that's with full time hours being 39

telithowitis · Post by **telithowitis** » 02 Jun 2017, 21:17

I reckon you are more likely to get 35 hours if you want them, they will have to cover the hours somehow

DGH · Post by **DGH** » 03 Jun 2017, 05:38

When FT hours were cut to 39 from 40, all part timers remained as they were (probably because neither RM nor the union properly considered them and the knock-on effects).

So I suspect the same thing would happen, except that any reduction to 36 or 35 hours will be mainly done through the removal of paid breaks, which obviously would impact on part-timers.

steve1873 · Post by **steve1873** » 03 Jun 2017, 14:13

Natagora wrote:Obviously there's been lots of mention of this reduction in hours as part of the 'Four Pillars' thing. What about part-time staff though? My contract is 31.5 hours and there's also lots of 26 hour staff in our office. Does anyone know what would happen to the number of hours that we would be working? Small reduction like the full-time staff or no change?

Your number of hours wouldn't change, but as a result of the weekly reduction in FT working week your hourly rate would increase.

Simple back of fag packet example (not accurate figures):

Current hourly rate: £10 ph.

Your current gross wage based on 31.5 would be £315.

Now if the changes occurred, the hourly rate would be 10 x (39/35) = £11.14

So your gross weekly wage would increase to £351.

Dexydog · Post by **Dexydog** » 03 Jun 2017, 14:29

They'll get rid of delivery supplement to pay for it.
Does anyone really think they're going to put someone's wage up by over 10%?!!

steve1873 · Post by **steve1873** » 03 Jun 2017, 14:32

Dexydog wrote:They'll get rid of delivery supplement to pay for it.
Does anyone really think they're going to put someone's wage up by over 10%?!!

It wouldn't be an instant drop in hours/ increase in hourly rate. It would be phased and would be in lieu of a pay-rise most likely.

Dexydog · Post by **Dexydog** » 03 Jun 2017, 14:34

Exactly.
They've already said any reduction in full time hours has to be self-funding.

steve1873 · Post by **steve1873** » 03 Jun 2017, 14:50

Dexydog wrote:Exactly.
They've already said any reduction in full time hours has to be self-funding.

Put it this way, if the reduction in working week is a no-go, I would be looking towards the CWU to secure us a 9-10% increase over the next 5 years anyway.

k979aaa · Post by **k979aaa** » 03 Jun 2017, 14:52

Dexydog wrote:Exactly.
They've already said any reduction in full time hours has to be self-funding.

Do you believe anything Royalmail say anymore!

k979aaa · Post by **k979aaa** » 03 Jun 2017, 15:08

steve1873 wrote:
Dexydog wrote:Exactly.
They've already said any reduction in full time hours has to be self-funding.
Put it this way, if the reduction in working week is a no-go, I would be looking towards the CWU to secure us a 9-10% increase over the next 5 years anyway.

Well assuming you would last the 5 years or anybody is another thing but only a 35 hour week will at least mitigate the damage of automation in the coming years for me a 30 hour working week would secure an employment for the good of the workers and even then the turn over would be huge in staff terms this is not a battle for now but for our very futures in royalmail!

rubberbond · Post by **rubberbond** » 03 Jun 2017, 18:27

k979aaa wrote:
Dexydog wrote:Exactly.
They've already said any reduction in full time hours has to be self-funding.
Do you believe anything Royalmail say anymore!

Never believe anything until it's officially denied.