Permanent v agency worker

geordieboy123 · Post by **geordieboy123** » 11 Oct 2020, 06:53

A mate in a nearby office informs me that he has an agency worker at his SPDO and he is one of the three that starts at 9.30 the other three start at 7.30. One morning last week when it was busy one of the early starters was struggling to get out before the late shift started so at 9.30 two of the late starters including the agency worker came in to the office but one of the permanent staff who had extra work to pick up from the day before had to wait outside as the Covid safe staffing levels would have been breached. My mate who is very union minded asked him politely if he could wait outside for about ten minutes so the permanent member could come in, he complained bitterly but did go outside but informed the manager of what happened and my mate got spoken to by the manager advising him that we are all equal and that he shouldn’t do it again.

I think my mate was right to do what he did as we work in a workplace with conditions fought for and maintained by the CWU members who pay £15 a month for that and then expect them to take second place to an agency worker who has no feeling or history with our union. What do you think?

DGH · Post by **DGH** » 11 Oct 2020, 08:46

I'm struggling to see why the permanent member of staff wasn't able to wait. After all, if he would then have had an issue with time to complete his duty, he'd have had the union behind him whereas the agency worker would be on his own.

I'm not really in favour of RM using agency staff but however RM treat them, we as union members shouldn't be regarding them as second class workers in my view.

wallan · Post by **wallan** » 11 Oct 2020, 09:08

Would your Mate have singled out the Agency Worker if None of the 0930 Starters were CWU Members

mickeymacca · Post by **mickeymacca** » 11 Oct 2020, 09:42

I don't think that is right, I certainly wouldn't have handled it like that, and what about all the permanent members of staff who are not CWU members are they treated differently?

geordieboy123 · Post by **geordieboy123** » 11 Oct 2020, 09:49

mickeymacca wrote:I don't think that is right, I certainly wouldn't have handled it like that, and what about all the permanent members of staff who are not CWU members are they treated differently?

There isn’t any non CWU members there,they’re solid

mickeymacca · Post by **mickeymacca** » 11 Oct 2020, 10:01

That's good, but it was a general point I was making, what if they sent a cover OPG from another office that wasn't a member, would he have to wait outside?
I understand your point, but not for me that one, I appreciate I probably hold the minority view of this situation though.

geordieboy123 · Post by **geordieboy123** » 11 Oct 2020, 10:34

mickeymacca wrote:That's good, but it was a general point I was making, what if they sent a cover OPG from another office that wasn't a member, would he have to wait outside?
I understand your point, but not for me that one, I appreciate I probably hold the minority view of this situation though.

We haven’t got any non members in our area and as for you holding the minority view, I don’t think so even some of the members in that particular office thought the agency worker was treated badly but although members they’re not really interested in the union and it’s values.

mickeymacca · Post by **mickeymacca** » 11 Oct 2020, 10:56

Sorry to labour the point but not every OPG is a member of the CWU, so if you just replace the situation in your office with somewhere else in the country that is not as high in membership as your area, how does that situation play out.

As for the Union's values I would have thought this would go against what they stand for, if the agency worker becomes a permanent staff member it may alienate them from wanting to join after an experience like this (I may be exaggerating the point a bit here!).

My perception is the Union should reach out to all workers and be as inclusive as possible, it's not a select club we're not the freemasons, but once again I'm probably wrong!

Have a good day geordieboy and get out there and top up your Vitamin D!

regards

ThatsNotPlumb · Post by **ThatsNotPlumb** » 11 Oct 2020, 12:46

geordieboy123 wrote:A mate in a nearby office informs me that he has an agency worker at his SPDO and he is one of the three that starts at 9.30 the other three start at 7.30. One morning last week when it was busy one of the early starters was struggling to get out before the late shift started so at 9.30 two of the late starters including the agency worker came in to the office but one of the permanent staff who had extra work to pick up from the day before had to wait outside as the Covid safe staffing levels would have been breached. My mate who is very union minded asked him politely if he could wait outside for about ten minutes so the permanent member could come in, he complained bitterly but did go outside but informed the manager of what happened and my mate got spoken to by the manager advising him that we are all equal and that he shouldn’t do it again.

I think my mate was right to do what he did as we work in a workplace with conditions fought for and maintained by the CWU members who pay £15 a month for that and then expect them to take second place to an agency worker who has no feeling or history with our union. What do you think?

DGH wrote:I'm struggling to see why the permanent member of staff wasn't able to wait. After all, if he would then have had an issue with time to complete his duty, he'd have had the union behind him whereas the agency worker would be on his own.

I'm not really in favour of RM using agency staff but however RM treat them, we as union members shouldn't be regarding them as second class workers in my view.

Exactly what DGH has said^^

Your friend's manager was right & your mate was wrong. Also the agency worker was right for being aggrieved & informing the manager because he was being singled out & essentially being treated like less because he's an agency worker.. he has just as much right to be there as the permanent staff member if he's been put on the shift.

geordieboy123 · Post by **geordieboy123** » 11 Oct 2020, 12:55

mickeymacca wrote:Sorry to labour the point but not every OPG is a member of the CWU, so if you just replace the situation in your office with somewhere else in the country that is not as high in membership as your area, how does that situation play out.

As for the Union's values I would have thought this would go against what they stand for, if the agency worker becomes a permanent staff member it may alienate them from wanting to join after an experience like this (I may be exaggerating the point a bit here!).

My perception is the Union should reach out to all workers and be as inclusive as possible, it's not a select club we're not the freemasons, but once again I'm probably wrong!

Have a good day geordieboy and get out there and top up your Vitamin D!

regards

How do you know about my vitamin D deficiency ?

mickeymacca · Post by **mickeymacca** » 11 Oct 2020, 13:02

Ha, I'm a postman I know everything.....

(actually, it's not the time of year now to benefit from Vitamin D from the Sun, so you might want to take a few supplements!)

Bunjinan · Post by **Bunjinan** » 13 Oct 2020, 08:49

Got nothing to do with the union- that is just poor behaviour

Route1 · Post by **Route1** » 17 Oct 2020, 01:06

As others have said I dont agree with your viewpoint. I can see where you are coming from but for me it doesnt feel right.

I'm going to make a mountain out of a molehill. Should a f/t ask a p/t to wait or a man tell a woman or a white person tell a non-white etc.