Company changed my shift pattern

[ande]

Hi I work as a HGV driver for a large distribution company and I am on contract to a retail company delivering to there stores throughout the UK.

I have worked on this contract for about 14 years the first 13 or so with a different hauler who lost the contract to my present employer around August 2017.

For that time I have worked Monday to Friday working weekends when required and now my employer wants me to work every Saturday and given me Sunday and Monday off , Change my contract to any 5 days out of 7 my present contract is any 5 days out of 6 ,we were forced to it change a few years back when my last employer wanted us to work weekends they tried a couple of times over the years and couldn't get it to work and it was never implemented
.
After consultation with the union the company has implemented a 7 day working week starting March the 31st I have refused to do this as my wife works during the week and I have early starts and regularly work 12,13,14 hour days and go to bed usually around 8 pm to be at work any thing from 3 am to 7 am the next morning we barely watch TV together in the week let alone have any social life so all we have are the weekends to do the things that normal people do ,see the kids .socialise etc
.
After a bit of research I have informed my employer that when I return on Monday the 8th, I am unable to work the new rota and I sent this ;- winni.docx





they then sent this to all of us ;-










and I responded with this :- winni 2 (2).docx

So that is were we are, I just want your thoughts and observations really ,I have more or less decided to move on there is plenty of work for drivers so I am going to rounds with the agency's but please still respond as this information put up here might help others that may not be able to find work as easy as me ,thanks for looking Andy

[Amethyst]

Tagging Ula for you but just to check - this new shift pattern is working Tues to Sat 4am to 8am ? so four hours ? or is it start between 4am and 8am and continue working until you're done ( your 12-13 hour days etc )... presumably as a driver you're opted out of the working time directive. Are you getting your 11 hr break btw? ( not sure if bed at 8pm means you're finishing at 6/7pm and starting again at 4am at the moment? )

and yes, tons of work about for drivers ... other half is constantly getting texts from various agencies and employers offering him driving work.

[ande]

Hi Amethyst thanks for looking,yes its 4 am to 8 am start times,the planning team give me my work for the day and your out until or if you get back ,we haven't opted out of the working time directive,we follow UK driving hour rules as well as the directive. I keep to the law and have usually maxed out my driving driving hours at the end of the 17 week period and reduce my breaks down to 9 when I can, trouble is the later you start the later you finish and like most transport offices its chaotic at the best of times ,not enough drivers ,no trailers, units and trailers still on the road due to bad planning its a 24 hour operation and the problems just snowball .thanks for looking Andy

[Amethyst]

For logistics companies they are all terrible at planning. My OH is an HGV trailer mechanic now, Monday - Friday 9 -5 more or less ( mostly less lol ) still licenced, but doesn't drive anymore, it does affect family life ( and relationships!) when you have shift patterns all over the shop, nights, days, weekends, lates, earlies etc etc ughhhh.... so I completely understand its bad enough with the early starts and not knowing when you'll get home, without having your weekends mucked up as well.

Hopefully Ula will pop in later about the consultation process and your rights on insisting on keeping the hours... I have a feeling that being part of a union, and the union agreeing to the changes on a trial basis, you'll be stuck with it, but see what she thinks xxxx

[ULA]

Hi, a quick question first - do you know whether the union has bargaining rights? If so then you may not be able to stop the changes being made by objecting to them and unfortunately it makes no difference if you are not a union member.

If not then you have done the right thing by sending your employer the letter of 27 March.

If you can let me know the answer to the above question and the union does have not have bargaining rights I can provide some further guidance as to what you can do and let you know what the company's course of action may be.

[ande]

Hi, ULA thanks for having a look, I couldn't say about bargaining rights and I couldn't get hold of our union rep to ask.but I did phone a couple of mates that are working and they say its chaos, the new rotas are having to be reworked as they don't work,some drivers have left .some are working to the new rota and some like me are working to the old rota ,some with letters sent in and some without, and theirs another set that are coming in when they feel like it .

What I can tell you is that the union said that you must send a letter in stating that you won't be working to the new rota but working to the old one and I am afraid that's all I can tell you until I return on Monday.
Between then and now I will be in the Peak District as my daughter is getting married so will be out of touch, thanks for your help I know there are a few of the lads looking at this and I am sure they appreciate your help thanks Andy

[ULA]

I hope your daughter's wedding is a beautiful day!

As you have any more information then just post it up on the thread and we will see how we can help you.