Being made to change shifts for 4 weeks!

[Gary Bolton]

Where I work I drive both a "Counter Balance" and a "Reach Truck". (For those who don't know what they are, Fork Lift Trucks)

Anyway I've been off work for 2 weeks here, and I got a phone call last night from one of my work mates, who said all my department are all being made to go on 2-10 shift (afternoons) for 4 weeks in December, because there is no "Goods In" coming in on the night shift all through December period. He was pissed off to say the very least, and also said everybody else in my department were saying they were NOT doing it because of family commitments etc.

How much notice does a company have to give you on a change off shift? Because there all going ballistic at work, nobody want to do the 2-10 shift even though it's only for 4 weeks. This will effect about 22 people. me included!

There is a bloke coming in on Wednesday to chat to us all about it, because off all the fuss kicked up at work in my department. Because they could still put us on other jobs on nights, rather than make us change shifts for 4 weeks. Even on that shift we will be doing a different job other than driving FLT's anyway. That has already been said!

The same jobs we could still do on nights! So sly!!!

[LV]

You in a union gary, or does your firm have one, I could get the GMB on the case for you guys

[Gary Bolton]

Yes were all in the "USDAW" union. But there all a waste of time, and all the reps get looked after at work big time!

They always start acting dumb when we have an issue like this, believe it or not the two Union Reps on nights both work on "GOODS IN" like myself. Good job to be on you see because we get neally every weekend off, and drive Fork Lift Trucks! Unlike the rest of the factory!

But they do NOT have to go on afternoons with the rest of us from what I've heard (probably because you need two Union Reps on nights. (even though there either never in, or on mornings most of the time) if you see what I mean by being looked after. Plus they get away with murder on our job, and nothing is ever said to them when they do nothing!

No offence "LV" because I know you say you are a Union Rep of some sort, but that's the way thing's are at my place regarding the USDAW union. So we already know it's a complete waste of time banking on them to solve the issue for us.

This same problem happened about 2 years ago, when they told a load of people on nights there was no work for them due to changes being made and work being transfared over to afternoons off nights. They give 3/4 of the work force on night "1 weeks notice" at that time to go on the 2-10 afternoon shift for good. Now I think they was allowed to do that because they used the "NO WORK" for then on nights situation, which enabled the company to only give them 1 weeks notice. So they have done this once before.

But this is a bit different this time, because the job they say we will be doing on the afternoon shift, can also be done on nights! So they cannot really say the work is not there in a round about sort of way. There may be no GOODS IN on nights, hence the transfare to afternoons. But the jobs we will be doing instead on afternoons can also be done on nights just the same. So how do we stand on that one?

Can we not argue the case that they are putting us onto another shift to do a completly different job, that can be still done on nights!

Because they have told us this information now also. I supose means they are acually giving us 4 weeks notice, and not 1 week.

[Purp]

If I was you, I'd check your contract to see what is says in there about hours of work and changes to shifts. In my last place of employment they had to give 4 weeks notice, but they stipulated this in the contract.

[Gary Bolton]

The trouble is how many people have the contract of employment to hand, to be able to read the small print. I don't, although I do know you can demand a copy of it from your works personel department. They have a nice little habbit of NOT sending you a copy automaticly.

However I do remember when I did have it 5 years ago before I mislayed it during a house move, that it did say they have the right to make you change shifts, to suit the company needs if need be. So I think they have us over a barrel on that one. The only question is how much notice are we entitled too. because if we are entitled to longer than 4 weeks notice, they are trying to do something they have no legal right to do.

[cappedup]

so from what you say.. they are moving your shifts around as on the normal shift there is no work to do?? so they move you to a shift where there is work.. hope ive got that right..

Id be tempted to look at it this way.. they could say, 'well there is no work for you' so you'd best go home' apart from that you have a contract and they wont be allowed to do that.. but.. if the situation changes in the future and they dont have work for you for a longer period of time there may be layoffs.. and who will be the first out?? the ones that kicked up a fuss a while back.. hate to be a pessimist but people are just people, especially those who make life changing desicions about your job.. ie the managers. Ive been in unions for years in the past, and as good as they are, when the company makes a desicion thats usually it!!

i'd look at it as a bit of a change, which is as good as a rest.. OR.. kick up a big fuss as its messing with your life then move on to something else when they either dont listen or dont renew your contract..

[Gary Bolton]

No, there is tons of work on nights. I work in a well known supermarket warehouse. It's just a case that my department unloads lorrys and then put all the product in the racking. But from December the 1st there is no GOODS IN coming into the factory on nights only, until January!

So they are saying because of this we are putting you on the 2-10 shift, where you will not be doing the same job (because they allready have there own Goods In team on that shift). But instead you will do another job for 4 weeks, But that job we will be doing on the 2-10 shift is also there for us to do on nights if they wanted, it's just a case that they know the 2-10 shift is going to be short staffed the most. So they are just trying to take advantage of our misfortune that no Goods In are coming in on nights all through december. We have loads of agency staff at out place who are not full time (about 3 different agencys to be exact). So why they could NOT put 22 of them onto the 2-10 shift, so we just took there place on nights doing the same job we would have been doing on afternoons is also one of the big questions. Because we are all long serving Full Time employees.

PS: I do not have a part time contract that is renewed. I am a Full Time employee, and moving shifts for 4 weeks will not involove a change of contract of any sorts. The only time our contract is ever changed is when we have Pay Talks that may mean included or altering parts of our contracts because of the agreed final Pay Talks.

[The_Abyss]

On a lighter note, when I was working for the logistics management for Boots a few years back, they had a fire in their warehouse in Nottingham when a forklift pierced a pallet of aerosols. So they put gas sensors in the forklifts that made them cut out when they sensed gas. However, they were too sensitive, and cut the engines out when the dirvers farted...

[Gary Bolton]

Nice one!

Pitty they can't do that were I work over chrismas when it's dead busy and people are pestering you to do drops. Maybe they should bring one out that brakes the truck when your pestered.

[LV]

4 weeks notice would more than likely be classed as ample so yes they can change, what the union is there for is to negotiate your conditions so if this was me i would be saying "yes, we accept the need for change, but what are you giving us in return"

enquiries@usdaw.org.uk fire your question to your higher union if you stewards are not helping as it sounds.

also tell them about your contract!

I can see where capp is coming from but I've never been able to sit back and take it up the ass from management so I truly believe you should never accept anything without protest.

[Gary Bolton]

LV, don't worry I'm no different from you in that respect, I always more than have my say if I don't like something, and I am noted for it also!

Just wait till I go into work tonght with my uzzi, somebody is going to get it big time! And if they can do what they say they can. 2 weeks on the SICK is overdue for december! Just like a few others on GOODS IN will be doing. I've already been told that half the lads plan to do that to stitch them up.

The managment hate us on GOODS IN because we are all old timers, and dead militant. Unlike all the other newbees there, we have already cracked up two Charge Hands who refused to work on GOODS INS anymore, because they could not handle us when an issue kicked off, because we all stick together as a group ans speak our minds.

This is there way off having a laugh at us, but it will backfire on them in the last two weeks in december when about 18 of us out of 22 are on the sick in the pub.

PS: Cheers for that link, but I also have the USDAW main website address also, to Email the top people there to get involved in this issue if need be after wednesday.

[esd]

Gary, I'm an ex-forky. and in my last place there was a nice little entry saying how they only needed to give 24hours notice before a shift change. And we're not talking cushy 8hr shifts here, we're talking 6 till 6 continentals. So you go home on a tuesday evening, knocked off at 6....then wednesday evening you're due on a nightshift, from 6pm to 6am.

They could chop and change as often as they wanted, and as it was in the contract, there was nothing the unions could do (not that they would, they were self-serving politicians who did nothing but line their own pockets, and have large periods off-work claiming "union meetings". In other words, they were in the cafe.).

...I always more than have my say if I don't like something, and I am noted for it also!

Maybe you should stand for the next union election then? If you're representing the concerns of the workforce, and you're known for putting your say accross (and not backing down) then you stand a good chance at gaining that position. Be about time someone "stayed true to the grassroots culture of the workplace".. *ahem*. You know what I mean, I am sure

[Gary Bolton]

Gary, I'm an ex-forky. and in my last place there was a nice little entry saying how they only needed to give 24hours notice before a shift change. And we're not talking cushy 8hr shifts here, we're talking 6 till 6 continentals. So you go home on a tuesday evening, knocked off at 6....then wednesday evening you're due on a nightshift, from 6pm to 6am.

They could chop and change as often as they wanted, and as it was in the contract, there was nothing the unions could do (not that they would, they were self-serving politicians who did nothing but line their own pockets, and have large periods off-work claiming "union meetings". In other words, they were in the cafe.).

...I always more than have my say if I don't like something, and I am noted for it also!

Maybe you should stand for the next union election then? If you're representing the concerns of the workforce, and you're known for putting your say accross (and not backing down) then you stand a good chance at gaining that position. Be about time someone "stayed true to the grassroots culture of the workplace".. *ahem*. You know what I mean, I am sure

Yes I do know what you mean, I'm a person from a working class background. My grandad was a Miner and I'm proud to be of that background. Not all Unions Men are the same however like you say. T & G were good the last place I worked, but USDAW are about a usefull as a plastic hammer.

Well were I work they are anyway! And you quotes about Union Meetings etc is dead right.

[LV]

a union is as strong as it's membership, if what you say is correct about your togetherness on the shop floor you've got a good chance.


Get your heads toghether and if you all agree have an election for new stewards, the membership then have the decision whether to fire off the old stewards or keep them.

Democracy my friend


By the way NEVER be a union rep that goes for anybody ever thinking about it

[Gary Bolton]

Thanks for your imput people, but last night at work we was told it was ONE BIG mistake. We are all stopping on nights, for some bizzare reason you had worked our shift out as being on afternoons!

Phew!!!

[cappedup]

Thanks for your imput people, but last night at work we was told it was ONE BIG mistake. We are all stopping on nights, for some bizzare reason you had worked our shift out as being on afternoons!

Phew!!!

Did we...? sorry!

[Gary Bolton]

Well sort off!

[Winter Dragon]

I used to work an AM shift of 8am-4:30pm, but now I work the PM shift from 4:30pm-1:00am. That's not so bad because I get paid a shift allowance, giving me an extra $40 per week but I don't see my family/friends anymore, and that sucks.

I want to go back to the AM shift and I probably could if I asked enough, but they say people on the PM shift have a higher chance of keeping their jobs (some of us are being laid off at the end of this month)