Part Time Contracts - Full Time Robbery

[Tomolo208]

Just wondering if it is a national policy with the company regarding part time contracts and I would love to hear your thoughts/stories of how your contracts work around the country.

Our intake of staff were recruited on a 20hr contract, working Wed - Sat 9-2.

Now, fair enough if that's what the company requires, but when you are expected to work 7-2 (from the first day, and every subsequent day since, Monday to Saturday) then how on earth are you supposed to feel anything other than robbed and mugged off when your holiday weeks leave you 22hrs out of pocket, your bonus is half of the 'full time' staff despite working almost as many hours and if you are unfortunate enough to fall sick or be injured in work then the company only honour your 20 hours?

This is normal and accepted in our office and other offices nearby that I have friends in say the same. But this makes me so angry, hence the rant.

Say you take your 4 weeks annual leave. That's 4 lots of 22hrs over the year. ~£900 people, EVERY YEAR! How many people are on part time contracts like these? Why isn't the CWU clamping down on this?

The second issue here is that all the hard work you put in is completely made a mockery of when you open your payslip the following week to find that your overtime is wrong or not there at all. Where is the union? This is so common in our office that the full timers words of wisdom are "don't ever take overtime as you won't be paid it". Like heck yeah - I'd agree with you too if my basic salary wasn't around £200 and I didn't need the money!
I would love to go far in this business, but I imagine refusing overtime and getting unions involved isn't the way to get ahead. Especially when your managers can take away your regular overtime at the drop of a hat, that makes it doubly hard to complain.

Royal mail, you are stealing from your staff whilst claiming to be the best employer and we should be thankful for our best jobs. Absolutely blows my mind.


There needs to be an official process to claim regular overtime when on sick/annual leave and properly re-evaluate contractual requirement and increase hours accordingly.

I see a lot of talk saying the part timers wouldn't back a strike. And I dont blame you for thinking that as all of the current CWU focus is on protecting full timers pensions and conditions which us new starters aren't a part of.

CWU, there is plenty to help us part timers with - shout about it and you'll get your backing from the part timers.

[Dexydog]

Absolutely agree with every single word you said.
It's normal and seems to accepted.
Have heard union is negotiating part-timers get an average of their last 13 weeks' pay when on leave.
Not sure how true that is, perhaps someone could either confirm or say if the robbery is likely to continue.

[bigal383]

Its a disgrace and the union have let it happen for years been here 7 years and stuck on a 30 hour contract always worked over 50. Ita a diagrace and the union want our support for the upcomming strikes and what will happen the part time staff will get s**t on again. While the full timers slowly leave and not replaced

[Creditshampoo]

It's really sad this is happening and even sadder that the only way of dealing with it is locally. All part timers working their contract hours like what we did in my office. 16 people were made up

[Lounge Lizard]

Its a disgrace and the union have let it happen for years been here 7 years and stuck on a 30 hour contract always worked over 50. Ita a diagrace and the union want our support for the upcomming strikes and what will happen the part time staff will get s**t on again. While the full timers slowly leave and not replaced

But unfortunately working fifty hours on a thirty hour contract for seven years is just what Royal Mail wants and making such part timers full time wouldn't be to their advantage.

[POSTMAN]

As has been said many times there are agreements where part timers hrs are to be looked at every 6 months, it could also be looked at more regularly if RM are taking the piss which they obviously are.

This process has been available for years!

[hans solo]

its local agreements which are causing all the problems
lets ALL tell cwu to scrap all local issues and bring everyone back in line and together
make all agreements national
after all they want support from the whole membership with upcoming dispute
sort it out we should all be standing together
how many local offices have walked out on their own recently due to local issues

[Burghboy]

Our office has always run this way, we had a meeting with our area rep months ago to discuss such issues and his stance was leave it with me and I'll get back to you's needless to say we haven't seen him in months since. In that time they have cut another 39 hours per week indoor pre time even though we are relying on overtime to get the ips up on a dailly basis. Every day we have 2 agency guys in pretty much full time and managers out on delivery and yet still cannot get the mail cleared.

[twoloops]

I find having to beg daily for my overtime & being told come & see me tomorrow you may make the time up! What on a 25 hour contract?

Ooooo & all us 'part timers' love having today off? And you full timers can have an easy day or bring a full timer in on overtime to do my easy day

[CPTNemoUK]

It does need sorting asap. I have been at RM for 4 years and in that time i got made up 3 times. When i first stated i was on a 24 hour contract, but was told to do 27.5 hours a week min. Then i got made up too 27.5 hours and told to do 30 hours min. Each time i got screwed on holidays out of hours. Now i am 35 hours and thats enough for me to live on so they can stick overtime where it don't shine. The reason is every single time they asked me to 39 hours for a week here and there i had to chase up the 4 hours without fail. It took me 4 weeks to get my last 4 hours paid. Rant over

[TrueBlueTerrier]

Absolutely agree with every single word you said.
It's normal and seems to accepted.
Have heard union is negotiating part-timers get an average of their last 13 weeks' pay when on leave.
Not sure how true that is, perhaps someone could either confirm or say if the robbery is likely to continue.

Its true there are various Letters to Branches about it.

Also, the upcoming industrial action includes Royal Mail pensions, they want a 2 tier system, the CWU are fighting for all employees to come under the same pension arrangements.

[clashcityrocker]

Have heard union is negotiating part-timers get an average of their last 13 weeks' pay when on leave.
Not sure how true that is, perhaps someone could either confirm or say if the robbery is likely to continue.

I think the law will come to your rescue before the CWU does.

[tone123]

Agree with everything the OP says. It's one of the main reasons why I recently left. I signed up for a part time job as that what's I actually wanted so that I can do other things.
Problem is that there are no part-time duties and it means that you are forced into doing overtime every day. I know in theory you can cut off but try doing it in practice especially when you're on a park & loop always with full timers. Telling the DM you want to cut off gets a response like you'd asked them to slam their genitals in the door or abuse their pet tortoise. There's certainly no scope once out on the walk.

Rm are simply taking the piddle and laughing al the way to the bank.

[Smir]

Didn't want to do overtime on Monday, had a meeting to go to, and to deposit some money into the bank before that, I told the guy I was with and told the manager, pretty much had to do it because I wasn't the driver... the job it's starting to piss me off.

Yet the week before, Wasn't allowed to book any over time... even 7 minutes they told me no.

[slinder123]

be thankful you have a job