Giving up

Gladysrocker · Post by **Gladysrocker** » 03 Jun 2018, 13:10

Unfortunately True Blue Terrier all reserves are treated the same but after a recent repick and several people leaving and not being replaced there are very few of us which will mean we’re messed about even more! That’s what’s brought the situation to a head really, I doubt there’ll be another repick for a long time which will mean my situation won’t improve.

Post by **TrueBlueTerrier** » 03 Jun 2018, 13:12

Gladysrocker wrote:Unfortunately True Blue Terrier all reserves are treated the same but after a recent repick and several people leaving and not being replaced there are very few of us which will mean we’re messed about even more! That’s what’s brought the situation to a head really, I doubt there’ll be another repick for a long time which will mean my situation won’t improve.

Well, that's good news and bad news.

At least if you are all on the same page and all as upset about the treatment as each other, then perhaps a joint approach may yield better results.

Gladysrocker · Post by **Gladysrocker** » 03 Jun 2018, 13:29

I’m going to have to go it alone I think, the rest of them are at least 20 years younger than me and it doesn’t seem to bother them so much !!

chickenwittle · Post by **chickenwittle** » 03 Jun 2018, 13:42

Sir Henry wrote:Your rep sounds like they need a sharp reminder about who they're working for. Go to your area rep and DONT be fobbed off. no joy from the area rep as the office rep is being a weasel and misrepresenting what is going on? Go to division, keep kicking it up the line until someone starts to pull their finger out. YOU ARE THE UNION.

Sadly a lot of local reps are a joke , they are only in the roll to look after themselves some even think they are some kind of manager , they are specially useless when it comes to revisions when they again look out for themselves and close mates.

Seymour Buts · Post by **Seymour Buts** » 03 Jun 2018, 15:35

The real issue here is them banking hours, that they can't do. You either insist you only want to work your contracted hours or you want paying the overtime.

The rest you'll just have to live with, being a reserve is part of starting at Royal Mail and the weekend stuff is just a local agreement.

Post by **Judgee** » 04 Jun 2018, 19:18

I can imagine it was a shock to you when you started that you would be " known as a second class citizen, a mug and a dogsbody"..... just like everybody else who has joined RM and worked through it until they had earned their stripes! They have to sugar coat it at interviews now as if they told the truth no one would ever join the RM as the wages are not as appealing as they once were as minimum wage is catching up fast and the pain/reward gap not so good!

As for your hours, unless it specifically states on your contract the hours you will do on a daily basis, with start and finishing times then you are ultimately at the mercy of your DOM. If it states 30 hours a week you can insist on this and insist on not going over but nothing more. "Operational needs" means you are there to do what they want you to do, as long as it's a "reasonable request". As they are not treating you any differently to the rest of the reserves there's not much you can do. Banking hours isn't agreed anywhere as far as I know? Best solution really would be to try and explain to your DOM that you are struggling with the extra hours and work load and only want to work your hours. If he says no then advise him that once your 30 hours each week are done you will be going home no matter what mail is left to do?

miles_peters · Post by **miles_peters** » 05 Jun 2018, 19:48

reserves are treated like s**t, end of. I had 12 years of it, its a constant battle to be treated equally, and its a battle that is impossible to win. im sure royal mail say somewhere that all royal mail emplyees have to be treated equally....

thebeard · Post by **thebeard** » 06 Jun 2018, 10:18

Try a Grievance about being treated differently as a part time worker. It is unlawful to treat part time workers differently from their full time counterparts. As most part time workers are female you may also have a case their

" IS IT UNLAWFUL TO DISCRIMINATE AGAINST PART-TIME WORKERS?
Yes, such discrimination is prohibited by the Part-time Workers (Prevention of Less Favourable Treatment) Regulations. Under the Regulations, workers have the statutory right, as part-timers, to be treated the same as comparable full-time workers – that is, workers on the same type of contract with the same employer.

This right is not subject to any qualifying service requirements. If your employer wants to treat you differently, they must be able to justify that different treatment on objective grounds.

A part-time worker is entitled to receive, on request, a written statement of reasons for less favourable treatment from the employer. This statement (or absence of it) may be taken into account by an employment tribunal hearing a complaint under the regulations."

Make them put it in writing as to why you are being treated less favourably

Post by **Judgee** » 06 Jun 2018, 16:07

thebeard wrote:Try a Grievance about being treated differently as a part time worker. It is unlawful to treat part time workers differently from their full time counterparts. As most part time workers are female you may also have a case their

" IS IT UNLAWFUL TO DISCRIMINATE AGAINST PART-TIME WORKERS?
Yes, such discrimination is prohibited by the Part-time Workers (Prevention of Less Favourable Treatment) Regulations. Under the Regulations, workers have the statutory right, as part-timers, to be treated the same as comparable full-time workers – that is, workers on the same type of contract with the same employer.

This right is not subject to any qualifying service requirements. If your employer wants to treat you differently, they must be able to justify that different treatment on objective grounds.

A part-time worker is entitled to receive, on request, a written statement of reasons for less favourable treatment from the employer. This statement (or absence of it) may be taken into account by an employment tribunal hearing a complaint under the regulations."

Make them put it in writing as to why you are being treated less favourably

Some Full time workers are reserves too and where do you get the idea that most part timers are women? Certain doesn't look that way within RM at least, but I'd be interested to see where you got that information?

Post by **rogersh** » 06 Jun 2018, 16:43

http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2000 ... tents/made" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;]
EDIT;

The Part-time Workers (Prevention of Less Favourable Treatment) Regulations 2000 Less favourable treatment of part-time workers
5.—
(1) A part-time worker has the right not to be treated by his employer less favourably than the employer
treats a comparable full-time worker—
(a)as regards the terms of his contract; or
(b)by being subjected to any other detriment by any act, or deliberate failure to act, of his employer.

(2) The right conferred by paragraph (1) applies only if—
(a)the treatment is on the ground that the worker is a part-time worker, and(b)the treatment is not justified on objective grounds.

(3) In determining whether a part-time worker has been treated less favourably than a comparable full-time
worker the pro rata principle shall be applied unless it is inappropriate.

(4) A part-time worker paid at a lower rate for overtime worked by him in a period than a comparable full-time worker is or would be paid for overtime worked by him in the same period shall not, for that reason, be regarded as treated less favourably than the comparable full-time worker where, or to the extent that, the total number of hours worked by the part-time worker in the period, including overtime, does not exceed the number of hours the comparable full-time worker is required to work in the period, disregarding absences from work and overtime.

Right to receive a written statement of reasons for less favourable treatment
6.—
(1) If a worker who considers that his employer may have treated him in a manner which infringes a
right conferred on him by regulation 5 requests in writing from his employer a written statement giving
particulars of the reasons for the treatment, the worker is entitled to be provided with such a statement
within twenty-one days of his request.

(2) A written statement under this regulation is admissable as evidence in any proceedings under these
Regulations.
(3) If it appears to the tribunal in any proceedings under these Regulations—
(a)that the employer deliberately, and without reasonable excuse, omitted to provide a written statement, or
(b)that the written statement is evasive or equivocal,
it may draw any inference which it considers it just and equitable to draw, including an inference that the
employer has infringed the right in question.
(4) This regulation does not apply where the treatment in question consists of the dismissal of an
employee, and the employee is entitled to a written statement of reasons for his dismissal under section 92
of the 1996 Act(1).

postslippete · Post by **postslippete** » 06 Jun 2018, 16:59

Gladysrocker wrote:I’ve been with RM for just over a year on a 30 hour contract. The advertised job was 8-2 five days a week and at the interview they said I’d be walking between 5 and 7 miles a day and implied I’d get a walk that I’d do regularly. That was the fairytale. Now for the nightmare. On my first day I was told that the hours I applied for wouldn’t suit the office I was in because they operated on a nine day fortnight which when explained to me I thought was going to be great! How naive of me. What wasn’t explained to me either in the job specification, at interview nor was it stated in my contract was that I was going to be a ‘reserve’, also known as a second class citizen, a mug and a dogsbody. For the first couple of months I was messed about being sent to other offices etc and had a pretty awful time of it to be honest, but was then sent back to my original office where I managed to settle in a bit.
My problem now though is this. Despite most of the office benefitting from long weekends every month, as a lowly reserve I’m obviously not afforded such luxury but I don’t even benefit from one, let alone 2 four day weeks. To fit in to the nine day fortnight pattern I end up working 33 hours 40 minutes every week but only getting paid for 30, as my contract. The five to seven miles a day has turned out to be well over ten and to be honest I’m exhausted. I’m walking in excess of 220 miles a month with no proper time off for my body to recover and I don’t know how much longer I can carry on.
My question really I suppose is can I insist on 2 four day weeks a month instead of banking all these hours that I don’t know when I’ll be able to take as there are no more A/L slots available!
Sorry for the long post,thanks for sticking with it!

Did the job advert actually state that you would have a regular walk?? If it did, then you clearly have something in writing but what someone 'implies' in your job interview is not. Personally, I think all new posties should have at least 6 months on a walk to learn the basics but when it comes to picking duties then I can't honestly believe there to be a fairer way than through seniority. I say that because most of us have been through it and started off working as "second class citizens" as you call it. I've turned your argument on its head just to make you realise that there are other people who work for Royal Mail other than you. Truth is anyone can be moved to do another duty or office due to operational needs regardless anyway!

If other 'reserves' are working this 9 day fortnight then you should put in a grievance and ask why you are working 33 hours 40 and only getting paid for 30 because as far as I am aware there is no banking of hours policy in the Royal Mail.

nuns · Post by **nuns** » 06 Jun 2018, 17:51

part timers dont even get told about overtime really (NOT WHERE I AM) they get told by other posties, there are people who dont claim anything they just think its coz they are new, bit slow probably so dont book it.
the dom tries to get out of paying anything even travel expenses as wouldn't admit your entitled to them (took 6 months get it paid).

ALSO

Can part timers get SA?

Post by **TrueBlueTerrier** » 06 Jun 2018, 18:42

nuns wrote:part timers dont even get told about overtime really (NOT WHERE I AM) they get told by other posties, there are people who dont claim anything they just think its coz they are new, bit slow probably so dont book it.
the dom tries to get out of paying anything even travel expenses as wouldn't admit your entitled to them (took 6 months get it paid).

ALSO

Can part timers get SA?

Yes if they perform SA, to not do so would be illegal.

Seymour Buts · Post by **Seymour Buts** » 06 Jun 2018, 18:44

miles_peters wrote:reserves are treated like s**t, end of. I had 12 years of it, its a constant battle to be treated equally, and its a battle that is impossible to win. im sure royal mail say somewhere that all royal mail emplyees have to be treated equally....

I quite like being a reserve to be honest. There's duties currently going up in our office that I probably could get with my 3 years service but won't put in for because they're crap, basically. As a reserve I get to go on the best duties too from time to time.

As for all being treated equally, Royal Mail consider all the duties the same so as far as they're concerned we're all equal.