Grace break or relaxation allowance

[rogersh]

Today in WTLL we were told again the grace break was not a right but given by management at their discretion. According to the statement by Simon Barker it appears he believes RDC's have a relaxation allowance based roughly on 13% which equates to 1 hour break for full time employees. A 1 hour break seems to be the standard break in MC's & RDC's judging by the posts I have read on this site.
Can anyone confirm if the "extra" break above the standard 40 minutes is classed as a relaxation allowance or a grace break where they work?

Previous post;
Rmtv - processing: 7th May 2018 Simon Barker U.K. Processing Operations Director, in response to a question re the SWW & breaks, stated;

“In the way forward agreement we have commitments of between 5 & 7 hours people get 30 minutes & then between 7 & 8.59 minutes they get 40 minutes breaks and that will continue to be honoured. Within the mail centres & RDC’s we’re building a relaxation allowance its roughly 13 per cent but it does change depending on the nature of the job...

Does that mean 13% of your hours (which does calculate as roughly1 hour for 39 hours/5 days) ?
Also what does he mean by "We're Building" ?


On this topic;

Postby LeightonTalksBull » Mon Oct 22, 2007 10:19 pm

Paul Turnbull wrote:
Processing Staff receive a 20 min relaxation break as a right - it was introduced in 1985 and this is something that should be negotiated for other staff- I do not know if a serious attempt has been made by the union to achieve this for other functions.


The 20 minute relaxation allowance was agreed in the Way Forward Agreement. In practice it was only achieved in some Mail Centres. One of the northern branches put a motion to conference in 2006 to get the 20 minute relaxation allowance or equivalent scheduled break for Deliveries and other functions. Bob Gibson opposed it and it failed.

[Navalron]

In Glasgow mail centre the extra 20 mins was built into the 318 so was part of the duty but that was in the warehouse and most of our garters have us more especially on lights bag dragging but I've been out several years now and as you know, not the same job especially in delivery. :

[Fishtoft4]

Does that mean that if i work within a Mail Centre but in Delivery's as a permanent inside worker am entitled to the extra 20 relaxation break. I have read the documentation on this and it clearly only states if you work in a Mail Centre and does not mention a function ie deliveries, processing or distribution. As every single person in the Mail Centre regardless to the shift or if you work in Revenue Protection for example all get a 1 hour paid break within there shift, if not isn't this discrimination.

Many thanks all

[SpacePhoenix]

Does that mean that if i work within a Mail Centre but in Delivery's as a permanent inside worker am entitled to the extra 20 relaxation break. I have read the documentation on this and it clearly only states if you work in a Mail Centre and does not mention a function ie deliveries, processing or distribution. As every single person in the Mail Centre regardless to the shift or if you work in Revenue Protection for example all get a 1 hour paid break within there shift, if not isn't this discrimination.

Many thanks all

If it's a DO housed with a MC, the DO staff won't get it, i thought that RM had eliminated any DOs being based in MCs and had moved them all to separate sites

[aiden01]

Does that mean that if i work within a Mail Centre but in Delivery's as a permanent inside worker am entitled to the extra 20 relaxation break. I have read the documentation on this and it clearly only states if you work in a Mail Centre and does not mention a function ie deliveries, processing or distribution. As every single person in the Mail Centre regardless to the shift or if you work in Revenue Protection for example all get a 1 hour paid break within there shift, if not isn't this discrimination.

Many thanks all

If it's a DO housed with a MC, the DO staff won't get it, i thought that RM had eliminated any DOs being based in MCs and had moved them all to separate sites

Still have a DO within our mc.

[raymond999]

At Newcastle mail center you get 1 hour break and if you started before 2007 I think it is, you get a 10 minute time bonus a day.

[Fishtoft4]

Does that mean that if i work within a Mail Centre but in Delivery's as a permanent inside worker am entitled to the extra 20 relaxation break. I have read the documentation on this and it clearly only states if you work in a Mail Centre and does not mention a function ie deliveries, processing or distribution. As every single person in the Mail Centre regardless to the shift or if you work in Revenue Protection for example all get a 1 hour paid break within there shift, if not isn't this discrimination.

Many thanks all

If it's a DO housed with a MC, the DO staff won't get it, i thought that RM had eliminated any DOs being based in MCs and had moved them all to separate sites

No we are still a DO within the Mail Centre it just seem a little strange if i moved physically about 10 yards i would be entitled to the extra 20 mins a day and there is nothing i can see in any agreement that says we are not entitled to it

[SpacePhoenix]

Does that mean that if i work within a Mail Centre but in Delivery's as a permanent inside worker am entitled to the extra 20 relaxation break. I have read the documentation on this and it clearly only states if you work in a Mail Centre and does not mention a function ie deliveries, processing or distribution. As every single person in the Mail Centre regardless to the shift or if you work in Revenue Protection for example all get a 1 hour paid break within there shift, if not isn't this discrimination.

Many thanks all

If it's a DO housed with a MC, the DO staff won't get it, i thought that RM had eliminated any DOs being based in MCs and had moved them all to separate sites

No we are still a DO within the Mail Centre it just seem a little strange if i moved physically about 10 yards i would be entitled to the extra 20 mins a day and there is nothing i can see in any agreement that says we are not entitled to it

Does the DO share the main MC sorting floor with the MC or is it a different room or floor from the main sorting floor of the MC?

[Fishtoft4]

We are both based on the same floor in the one unit in fact you have to walk through the processing space to get to the tea machine or to go to your WTLL meetings.

[rogersh]

Today in WTLL we were told again the grace break was not a right but given by management at their discretion. According to the statement by Simon Barker it appears he believes RDC's have a relaxation allowance based roughly on 13% which equates to 1 hour break for full time employees. A 1 hour break seems to be the standard break in MC's & RDC's judging by the posts I have read on this site.
Can anyone confirm if the "extra" break above the standard 40 minutes is classed as a relaxation allowance or a grace break where they work?

Previous post;
Rmtv - processing: 7th May 2018 Simon Barker U.K. Processing Operations Director, in response to a question re the SWW & breaks, stated;

“In the way forward agreement we have commitments of between 5 & 7 hours people get 30 minutes & then between 7 & 8.59 minutes they get 40 minutes breaks and that will continue to be honoured. Within the mail centres & RDC’s we’re building a relaxation allowance its roughly 13 per cent but it does change depending on the nature of the job...

Does that mean 13% of your hours (which does calculate as roughly1 hour for 39 hours/5 days) ?
Also what does he mean by "We're Building" ?


On this topic;

Postby LeightonTalksBull » Mon Oct 22, 2007 10:19 pm

Paul Turnbull wrote:
Processing Staff receive a 20 min relaxation break as a right - it was introduced in 1985 and this is something that should be negotiated for other staff- I do not know if a serious attempt has been made by the union to achieve this for other functions.


The 20 minute relaxation allowance was agreed in the Way Forward Agreement. In practice it was only achieved in some Mail Centres. One of the northern branches put a motion to conference in 2006 to get the 20 minute relaxation allowance or equivalent scheduled break for Deliveries and other functions. Bob Gibson opposed it and it failed.

The HR/people team on request have advised the following;
"The relaxation allowance has always been built into the standard times measured to carry out indoor activity, generally at a level of around 11 – 13% depending on the activity being carried out i.e. lifting weight / standing etc and that the relaxation allowance is not something that is being built in owing to the introduction of the Shorter Working Week."
So I can only assume Simon Barker was misquoted in the subtitles on RMtv . So "we're building" was perhaps "we've built" ?

[Fishtoft4]

Still have no answer if this applies for Delivery Office staff who work in a mail centre i am an inside worker in the DO within a mail centre. As stated previously i have to work within yards to the tea machine and toilets within the mail centre so surely i should come under this agreement. There is nothing that states you must work in processing just that you work in a mail centre even staff in revenue protection and distribution in the mail centre get the extra 20 mins where can i find a definitive answer please

[Jamie162]

I work in a mail centre in distribution and only get 40 min break while processing get 1hr I think it only applies to processing