Increasing my contract hours

[Davegoldi]

Hi all, been a postie for about 11 years, currently on 32.5 hour contract, I have my own round and I am asked to come in early on O/T to fully prep my frame throughout the week. This has happened since full timers lost an hour on the week back in October 2018. 14 months ago. I want to be made up to a permanent 35 hour contract, My O/T has has always been prep and this takes my working hours every week to 35. Therefore my duty is a 35 hour duty from prep to completed delivery over the working week. Is there any agreement in place that I can quote which sets out if I have been doing the same job for a set number of weeks, then I am entitled to have my hours permanently increased. Any advice or help as to how I should put in writing to my DOM a letter stating the above, would be a massive help. Or am I just dreaming of a life without pro rata this and pro rata that. I did approach my DOM 12 Months ago after I had been doing theses hours for 3 months and he agreed I had a case, but of course nothing was done about it, Stating his hands were tied, hmmmmm. I am next in line in the office to be offered full time (which incidently is 35 hours now, despite royal mail not adhering to the agreement of the shorter working week) But this would be offered to me by way of a full time vacancy elsewhere in the office, not on the duty I have been delivering for 6 years and am already working the 35 hours. Please help

[rogersh]

Four Pillars of Security and Pay National Agreement

This agreement has been reached within the spirit and principles of the Agenda for Growth, Stability and Long Term Success Agreement and its Legally Binding Contract.


8. Resourcing In Line with Current Agreements Both parties agree that the aims, principles and detail contained in our agreements and recent Joint Statements will be re-affirmed and fully applied.
Both parties will re-affirm that they will deploy legally binding commitments to part-time workers and the use of agency workers.

In respect of part-time workers the following will apply with immediate effect:
It is agreed that part-time workers in Royal Mail Group provide an excellent and efficient contribution to the operation when they perform extra hours above their contracted hours. It is equally recognised that some part-time workers wish to extend their contractual hours whilst others prefer to perform extra hours when they wish to.

It is apparent that while some colleagues have secured additional conditioned hours and also converted to full time employment there is more that can be done to reflect a part-time worker’s regular commitment to additional hours (should they wish it). This means, in line with our agreements, and where justified, we should focus on moving to full-time, or increasing contractual hours below full-time either on a temporary or permanent variation of contract.

For avoidance of doubt it is confirmed that Part Time workers are entitled to sign for and perform scheduled attendance in line with existing and fair allocation arrangements.
The level of part time Employees’ contracted hours will be reviewed by the Employer and the CWU locally on a six monthly basis. Where appropriate, increased contracted hours will be offered to reflect the hours actually worked and planned.

Regular extra hours performed but not linked to a part-time workers duty but which still result in an individual regularly working full-time hours, should not be a barrier to securing a full-time contract providing the actual work performed is clearly defined.

Part time workers could have a variation of contract above their current conditioned hours up to full time for specified periods of time based on the requirements for regular overtime and seasonal specific events. This variation of contract will result in an immediate change to all aspects of pay i.e. annual leave, sick leave, pension, allowances (where appropriate) etc. to reflect the actual hours worked. Again this hourage does not necessarily have to be linked to their actual part-time duty.
All adjustments in this regard must be consistent with our current agreements.

This activity will be reviewed in line with a fresh approach to resourcing as detailed in this agreement up to and including National level taking place in September 2018, to assess if further action/interventions are required.
To this end it is agreed that there is not and will not be a central HR policy to only recruit on a part-time basis. Recruitment will be determined by workload and the outcome of the weekly resource meetings, initiated 13 weeks out. The process for recruiting to vacancies agreed at the weekly resourcing meetings will be improved to increase the pace and reduce the period during which an active vacancy remains unfilled, whether full or part-time.

To ensure a consistent nationwide structure to the six month review process as detailed in our current agreements, it is agreed that all units will conduct these reviews in March and September each year. Functional Directors and CWU Divisional Representatives will meet to ensure that this commitment has been fulfilled and ensure that the IR Framework is being applied where an agreed action plan / sign-off is not agreed.


Frontline managers briefing pack: 2018

5. PART-TIME COLLEAGUES

We will honour our agreements regarding part-time colleagues:

• Part-time colleagues’ contracted hours will be jointly reviewed every March and September. Where appropriate, increased contracted hours will be offered to reflect the hours actually worked and planned.

[Davegoldi]

Thankyou, I will quote parts of this in my next letter to my DOM

[rogersh]

Glad the info was useful. The link for the managers briefing pack is here;
https://www.royalmailchat.co.uk/communi ... =1&t=84411" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

It relates to the 4 pillars agreement & repeats the mantra "We will honour our agreements regarding part-time colleagues"
As you pointed out the second hour reduction of the shorter working week did not occur in October 2019 however new & existing employees are being hired on 35 hour full-time contracts. As stated "We have a joint commitment with the CWU to move towards a 35-hour
week by 2022."
During the dispute it was emphasised by management that RMG were honouring the 4 pillars agreement.

I wish you well but a note of caution in a letter from 2016;

To: Branches with POSTAL Members
LTB 132/16 Resourcing, Recruitment and Professional Manpower Planning/Legally Binding Agreement
Dear Colleagues,

Resourcing, Recruitment and Professional Manpower Planning/Legally Binding Agreement

You will recall that in November 2015 the situation locally in respect of the business not adhering (in our opinion) to our National Agreements regarding the above had become so dire that it was necessary for a national intervention and the negotiation of a Joint Statement to guide and refocus the field (LTB 715/15 refers).

Unfortunately, it is with great frustration that once again we are required to intervene due to management’s failure to apply our agreements at local level. This has now reached epidemic proportions with the consequences of managers performing OPG work, excessive use of agency and casuals, excessive levels of overtime, part timers being asked to regularly perform hours above their conditioned hours (despite not being offered increased contracts in line with our agreement), an apparent national block on any full time recruitment, the cessation of temporary contracts, regardless of need, and offers of un-agreed voluntary redundancies etc threatening industrial stability.

Against that backdrop the Postal Executive has for the first time taken the very serious step of registering a national Point of Principle, in line with Schedule 3 Disputes Resolution Procedures of the legally binding agreement, and in particular Section 3 Achieving National Agreement 3.1 Point of Principle.

This is new territory for us and it is with great regret that we’ve had to take this action but it is naive to believe that industrial stability will be maintained if agreements reached nationally are not applied in the workplace locally. 

Clearly this Point of Principle is not about renegotiating our National Agreements but rather the business’ failure to deploy those National Agreements and enforce them at local level. Our on-going dialogue will be about how we jointly correct that situation and restore confidence in our procedures.
Notwithstanding the position being taken nationally, Local, Area and Divisional Representatives should continue to challenge any activity which is considered inconsistent with our National Agreements via the IR Framework.

Attached to this LTB is a letter sent to Mike Newby on this issue which is self-explanatory.

Branches should ensure that this LTB is given the widest possible circulation and that it is brought to the attention of local Representatives.

Any enquiries in relation to the content of this LTB should be addressed to the DGSP Department.

Yours sincerely,
Terry Pullinger
Deputy General Secretary (Postal)

[Davegoldi]

Thankyou again, will update if I make any progress, I'll not hold my breath.