so much for priority over xmas casuals as a angaard worker

toonlad2 · Post by **toonlad2** » 12 Nov 2018, 15:27

xmas casuals started at the mc i work at on friday and my shift got cancelled ,same again today shift cancelled,also my block bookings for xmas this yr starts 10th december alot later than previous years

so a question ide like answered is paying a xmas casual roughly 3 pound a hour less who hasnt done the job before alot better finacially or cost effective than angaard workers with few years exp ????

Failureisnotanoption · Post by **Failureisnotanoption** » 12 Nov 2018, 16:11

Well you would think so but to be honest are the Royal Mail normal I think not .majority of long standing company’s in the country would never put untrained staff before long term trained staff. it’s just buisness get more chimps pay less peanuts scenario it depends on your MC as well some will stand by there long term casuals some won’t. mine has been ok in the numerous years I have been there but I’m realistic I’m a casual and don’t expect any fovours from Angard or the mail I take what I can at Christmas as many will. to be honest it’s the only time of year you get a decent run of shifts unless you lick managerial arse through the year I’m not into that.

AC2490 · Post by **AC2490** » 16 Nov 2018, 13:11

Happens every year

Majority of the longer term angard staff/AWR staff are all pushed to the very back in favor of new starts

New starts show up, always at least 2-5 leave after the 1st day or week, managers start to complain they are short staffed

Offer to take the place of someone who has left , get told to go through angard phone system to sort it

Phone angard and explain this and you are met with "uuhh we haven't had a call for any staff"

Christmas ends, casuals leave and shifts dry up because you are now into the 10 month "quiet period"

Post by **Navalron** » 19 Nov 2018, 07:14

Of I was with anguard I wouldn't give the union any subs because they do absolutely nought for casual workers. I started casual many years ago before anguard were even though off and we were treated like s**t by the union back then also. The reps should be in getting the long term anguardees in as your know the job and the new casuals at Xmas will just add to the chaos, confusion and missorts and RM will pay more in compensation for lost/late parcels ect instead of just paying your the extra to start with. They are sad bastards.

Access · Post by **Access** » 19 Nov 2018, 15:27

Shift cancelled at Glasgow MC today. I assume Xmas casuals have started?

tabact · Post by **tabact** » 20 Nov 2018, 09:37

Text cancelling my shift yesterday then got a call an hour later saying the shift is reinstated. Just been cancelled again today but at least the texts are early so far and not last minute. RM casuals start next week at my MC so more cancellations in the offing. Theoretically I'm booked through to the end of the year but Royal Mail want to have their cake and eat it by getting Angard to book you in case you are needed, but will dump you as much as they can to save money.

NW11851 · Post by **NW11851** » 20 Nov 2018, 11:14

Gatwick MC last night:
I received a call to gonin; presumably because the Mabagers had seen the list of names and didn’t recognise all the newbies. They’ve got to start sometime, but, surely, not that huge number and on the busiest evening of the week.

2c Spent their evening outsorting 1c and dumping the rest intonsleeves to feed the Parcel Sorting Machine - which shut down at 21:15.

>80 2c sleeves left unsorted. The Night Shift could not cooexand one texts have gone out to try to find ANgard staff to go in 11:00 - 15:00 to try to clear it.

If they don’t fully commission the PSM soon, it could be a disastrous Christmas period on packets.

Hi ho! Hi ho! It’s going to snow!

tabact · Post by **tabact** » 20 Nov 2018, 11:25

Today's cancelled shift now reinstated. RM keep changing their minds how many people they need and Angard are having to react to the changing numbers they are given. Angard should probably hang back from cancelling shifts so quickly, maybe give it till noon before cancelling people?

NW11851 · Post by **NW11851** » 20 Nov 2018, 11:38

Stop scheduling so many newbies on each shift.

Everyone has to learn, we all did, but it’s not fair on them, existingvRM & Angard staff and Managers.

Two or three per shift is more practical but, “Hey’ They’re cheap!”

NW11851 · Post by **NW11851** » 21 Nov 2018, 13:17

No shift yesterday.
No shift tomorrow.

Looks like the new temps have been given all the shifts.

Good luck with getting the work through.

And.......next eeek the RM Christmas Casuals arrive. Deep joy! Reckon I’ll be luck to get any shifts up till Christmas.

I’m not holding out much hope that Angard will honour my three-week booking, which starts next week!

NW11851 · Post by **NW11851** » 23 Nov 2018, 18:02

So....,,that’s four shifts I’ve lost to the ‘new’ Casuals/Temps this week.

Last year, for the same week, ANGARD/RM were asking me to go in at times varying from 15:00 to 18:15 until 22:15. This year, one shift last Monday.

They don’t want to have experienced staff working in the building as the busiest time of the year approaches?

I’m not too surprised. Little Angard/RM do surprises me anymore but I find it disgusting treatment of loyal staff.

And don’t get me started on the continuous beaches of the AWRs.

No keys, no Christmas cards and postage stamps, no work briefings, no training just ‘leap in and do it!’, somehow.

No official access to the car park.......the list goes on and on.

They need their arsed whipping at an Employment Tribunal.
It happened in 2016, but the companies are hoping that no-one noticed.

Post by **SpacePhoenix** » 23 Nov 2018, 19:43

NW11851 wrote:No keys, no Christmas cards and postage stamps, no work briefings, no training just ‘leap in and do it!’, somehow.

No official access to the car park.......

Keys might be down to security issues, if a Angard or a casual quits, the card has to be cancelled, also it takes ages to get the cards anyway. Christmas cards and stamps you have to be a RM employee and have been an employee I believe for a whole year to get them. Work briefings, no one at all gets them during xmas pressure and training, apart from those working on any sort of machine, everyone learns on the job. The car parking is probably down to there being nowhere enough parking spaces

NW11851 · Post by **NW11851** » 23 Nov 2018, 23:32

AWR states that Agency staff doing the same work as permanent direct employees should received the same terms and conditions of employment.

Keys was covered in a 2016 WTA Judgement - when RM failed to abide by the decision the complainant was awarded £8,000 in remedial damage.

The Judge stated that cost was of no concern to the AWR.

I believe that the other benefits are covered by the AWR.

As regards the car parking At Gatwick MC, it is only ever 60% full and, indeed, RM lets up to approx. 20 cars park in the car park so that travellers leave their cars in it whilst flying abroad, in return for a ‘donation to charity’!

NW11851 · Post by **NW11851** » 24 Nov 2018, 08:38

And don’t get me started on the free flu jab.

If it’s so important to have theurcstaff fit and fly-free for the Christmas period, why not extend the offer to all the Angard and new temps and RM Casuals, about whom they know nothing and could be carrying the flu virus?

If they have a NI Number, which is part of the recruitment process, most of them will have a NHS number and the cost can be reclaimed from the NHS.

Post by **Navalron** » 27 Nov 2018, 08:42

NW11851 wrote:AWR states that Agency staff doing the same work as permanent direct employees should received the same terms and conditions of employment.

Keys was covered in a 2016 WTA Judgement - when RM failed to abide by the decision the complainant was awarded £8,000 in remedial damage.

The Judge stated that cost was of no concern to the AWR.

I believe that the other benefits are covered by the AWR.

As regards the car parking At Gatwick MC, it is only ever 60% full and, indeed, RM lets up to approx. 20 cars park in the car park so that travellers leave their cars in it whilst flying abroad, in return for a ‘donation to charity’!

You are NOT a a RM employee and it is as simple as that. I know it crap but that's the way it is.