Hi

I am part of a team of 13 clerical workers who work 12 hour shifts matching and allocating human organs for UK Transplant. We work on a rotating shift pattern and were so concerned at the last proposals that we wrote a letter to the powers that be expressing these strong concerns. For those of us who work long 12 hour shifts does anyone know if we would be better or worse off.

At the moment our shift allowance is worked out over the year and averaged out each month so we have a regular income under these new arrangements does that mean that each month our wage packet will be different or are we still able to have an agreement whereby it can be averaged out over the year.

Any help on this would be appreciated.

Sue

The new scheme can be implimented as a prospective (averaging scheme) or a retrospective scheme which pays the actual shifts worked. Our joint stewards commitee is planning to get into discussion with management about which option to implement from 1st April. If this new scheme is not suitable for a particular employer you should bear in mind the percident set by the English Ambulance trusts. They have negotiated an opt-out and agreed to stay on their previous scheme - however from what I can see the opt out would have to be for all staff in one employer - different staff groups could not be ttreated differently within one employer or else there may be equal pay issues. (OK I know this this is still happening with doctors, dentists and directors - but they could be subject to equal pay cases).

Regards, Mark.

Does it have to be one or the other? Why can’t the arrangements (i. e. prospective or retrospective) be negotiated according to the requirements of particular staff groups?

Martin Booth

Sorry - whether the scheme is prospective or retrospective should make no difference in theory thogh I suspect payroll would want to work one system or the other - not both. What I meant is that an employer would have difficulty having different staff groups on different unsocial hours schemes - eg if you left ancillary on Whitley and had nursing on the new AfC system. Equal pay issues would arise - a band 2 HCA could justifiably ask why s/he wasnt getting as much as a porter for working nights.

mark ladbrooke