Pay After 12 Weeks (2018 vs. 2019 - a drop in pay rate?)

[Beortnoth]

Approaching Christmas 2018 I applied for casual work at Royal Mail through Angard, and my application was successful. A little too late, as it happened. I received all the associated paperwork and even an ID badge, but it all arrived a day or so after the final induction date. So this year I applied early, and have received the same paperwork.

However, there's an issue with the Angard pay sheet. I was under the impression that after 12 weeks an Angard employee is paid the same rate as a Royal Mail employee? The two pay sheets show a drop in wages from 2018 to 2019. Did all Royal Mail sorting staff suffer the same wage drop, or have I misunderstood how the rules work?

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AWR PAY RATES | Aged 18+ | >12 weeks, <6 months
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SHIFT (Mon-Sat).......2018 (Version 1.0).......2019 (Version 2.0)
Standard Day...........£11.65.....................£10.73
Dawn....................£12.50.....................£11.51
Early 1...................£12.09....................£11.14
Early 2...................£11.87....................£10.93
Evening..................£12.29...................£11.32
Lates.....................£13.00...................£11.97
Nights....................£14.21...................£13.09

[tabact]

Last year's rates were with an unpaid break so a higher hourly rate was given to compensate. This year's rates you now get a paid break so they lowered the hourly rate to reflect this.

[Beortnoth]

Ah, ok. Problem solved.

Thank you tabact.