Specialist Duties ( Locker, Driving etc.)

[Bloodyhellpat]

I know this has been touched on before, but I'm looking for a little more clarification on how Specialist Duties are filled when vacancies arise. I have covered locker duties for some years now while waiting for a vacancy and was wondering if my time served and already having the relevant training would see me as a preferred candidate over a more senior staff member who has never worked in there. I was lead to believe that suitability would see me through, but am now getting told everyone is suitable as long as they have a good sick record and 5 years on the job counts for nothing.

Any thoughts folks?

[db]

I know this has been touched on before, but I'm looking for a little more clarification on how Specialist Duties are filled when vacancies arise. I have covered locker duties for some years now while waiting for a vacancy and was wondering if my time served and already having the relevant training would see me as a preferred candidate over a more senior staff member who has never worked in there. I was lead to believe that suitability would see me through, but am now getting told everyone is suitable as long as they have a good sick record and 5 years on the job counts for nothing.

Any thoughts folks?

Seniority rules all

[Bahia Feliz]

I know this has been touched on before, but I'm looking for a little more clarification on how Specialist Duties are filled when vacancies arise. I have covered locker duties for some years now while waiting for a vacancy and was wondering if my time served and already having the relevant training would see me as a preferred candidate over a more senior staff member who has never worked in there. I was lead to believe that suitability would see me through, but am now getting told everyone is suitable as long as they have a good sick record and

5 years on the job counts for nothing.

Any thoughts folks?

You got it in one!

[clashcityrocker]

Seniority rules all

No it doesn't.
You can't just decide you want to be in the locker room when a repick comes around.
If you aren't deemd suitable, you can't pick it.

[fishtank]

SELECTION BY SKILLS

15.1 All frontline jobs performed by the new multi-skilled single operational grade will have the same core capabilities. However, it is recognised that there are come jobs that require more specialised skills. An objective selection process will be introduced for these jobs.

15.2 These jobs will be filled by the most senior person who has achieved the right standard for the job during the selection process. Sick attendance and conduct record will only be taken into account where these are relevant to the work. Where training is required by the most senior suitable person, this will be given prior to appointment.

15.3 Resourcing procedures will be based on the Resourcing Area. This will in all cases be the Royal Mail administrative area (i.e. the areas managed by Area Managers, subject to review in the light of any organisational changes). Jobs filled internally will be available to employees currently working in any office within the Area concerned.

15.4 Vacancies for specialist jobs will be advertised throughout the resourcing area. Applications should be made in writing to the Resourcing Unit.

15.5 Employees who wish to be considered for specialist jobs in general should register their interest via the Resourcing Unit or include it in their own Development Plan, a copy of which will be held by the Resourcing Unit (see section 19). This information will be used for training planning. Where a vacancy arises, equal consideration will be given to individuals who have registered their interest through Development Plan or through the Resourcing Unit in writing at the time when the vacancy is advertised. The objective is to allow and maintain openness and fairness in relation to resourcing specialist posts.

15.6 The specific jobs that require specialist skills and which will be subject to selection are:

Resourcing Unit (Bookroom);
DOM Support;
Traffic Office;
Enquiry/Callers’ Office;
Major Customer Collection drivers
(to be jointly defined at National level):
Benefits Agency/Customer Mailroom;
Travelling Post Office;
Leadership roles (formerly PHG ‘A’);
Heavy Goods Vehicle Driving (HGV);
Postbus (PSV);
VCS/MAA;
IMP/MTT;
Advanced TPM;
Non-school training

15.7 All specialist jobs will have consistent job descriptions, which will identify the specialist capabilities and which will be standard throughout Royal Mail.

15.8 Employees who are regarded as suitable should be dedicated to these duties for a minimum of 12 months. If after 12 months the employee wishes to change jobs, they must give adequate notice to enable a suitable trained replacement to be found before release can be allowed. The replacement must be available to take up post no later than six months after notice has been given.

The process for resourcing specialist posts will be one of four options, in the following order, unless agreed locally to change this order:

• Deployment of existing surplus employees with the appropriate skills;
• Internal advertisement of the job within the resourcing area itself;
• The acceptance of an existing employee with the appropriate skills from another resourcing area who has previously had his/her name placed on the transfer list for that resourcing area;
• External advertisement.

15.9 This decision will be taken locally, but normally jobs will be filled by internal advertisement, by a surplus employee or a transferee before there is recourse to external advertisement.



15.10 Where a post is advertised internally then it will be advertised to all employees in that resourcing area, full- and part-time. Candidates will undergo an objective selection procedure, designed to assess individual competences against the skills required for a particular job. Where more than one candidate possesses the required capabilities, selection will then be on the basis of seniority.

15.11 The resultant vacancy, be it full- or part-time, will be filled as specified in section 14, unless it too is for a specialist post, in which case the provisions of this section will apply.

[Bloodyhellpat]

Thanks for that fishtank. I've just been looking at that in the way forward agreement.

It does not seem to specify that locker duties are Specialist jobs as I was lead to believe. Do you know if this the case?
It also does not mention 71/2 tonne driving as a Specialist duty. I thought under the Proffesional drivers agreement this was now the case.

It certainly seems like the way forward is on my side should the job be deemed Specialist.

[human1]

In our delivery office, after revision , all the jobs including lockers were sighned on Seniority except one locker duty which is for " rehab " purposes .

[UnhappyGremlin]

We had revision and repick recently. The three indoor/locker roles were ring fenced for the people currently in them as they are specialised roles. We pointed out that they aren't, but were ignored. They are former PHG duties, but 2 of the 3 people currently in them have never passed any tests, never been subject to an interview process, their suitability has never been checked. When they're on A/L, the duties are covered by any available sub/reserve, who often hasn't been trained, and has obviously also never passed any tests etc. And yes, they are the boss's pets.

[sully]

all depends what office you work in,if you work in a london mc Seniorty rules

[stephen500]

I know this has been touched on before, but I'm looking for a little more clarification on how Specialist Duties are filled when vacancies arise. I have covered locker duties for some years now while waiting for a vacancy and was wondering if my time served and already having the relevant training would see me as a preferred candidate over a more senior staff member who has never worked in there. I was lead to believe that suitability would see me through, but am now getting told everyone is suitable as long as they have a good sick record and 5 years on the job counts for nothing.

Any thoughts folks?

Locker jobs are not specialist roles. Specialist roles normally receive a weekly payment. Locker jobs do not. Sick record does not come into it as it is not a specialist role. It will be picked on seniority and you will be amazed at how low down the list a locker job will go. Hard work and no thanks.

[fishtank]

Locker jobs are not specialist roles.

They are when combined with Enquiry/Callers’ Office work which the majority of them are.

[PhilthyPhil]

Locker jobs are not specialist roles. Specialist roles normally receive a weekly payment. Locker jobs do not. Sick record does not come into it as it is not a specialist role. It will be picked on seniority and you will be amazed at how low down the list a locker job will go. Hard work and no thanks.

We had a full office duty resign and because we were carrying vacancies the locker jobs did not get signed for at all, with people picking leave reserve and floater jobs instead. In the end the resign got put off and we had to stick to our existing duties because the DOM would not implement it with no one to do the locker, which is understandable really. One thing I don't get is why when you have separate callers and locker, the callers is specialist but the locker is not. Sure callers is stressfull, but you need a lot more knowledge to do the locker job.