Employer is forcing changes to rota

ABCDE_2

I have been with my job for 18 years working four 12 hour shifts,two days of 12 hours and two night shifts of 12 hours followed by 7 days off,then 4 shifts on and 7 off this is the work pattern.
Over a year it works out i work 121 shifts a year.If i wanted to take shifts off as holidays i could but the shifts i took off i had to go in and work them for no pay,hence no holidays ! This was challenged and in 2006 i was granted 18 days holiday a year where i could take these 18 days off without having to re work them back.
I also cannot see that i am getting extra pay for working nights and weekends,i am told it is built into my salary of £16000 a year.This i do not accept.
I get the same rate of pay for my day shifts as i do for a night shift on a weekend.
From November 1st my employer is enforcing i work 37 hours a week which means i have to work 2 extra shifts a week of 6 hours to make up the 37 hours,this i will not get paid for as they say its in my salary !!! this i also do not agree with.
I also am being given 30 days holiday a year.
I am against these changes and can i refuse them ? my union seems to be doing nothing here to assist me or help.
The new rota is still doing my four 12 hour shifts 2 days and 2 nights = 48 hours in 4 days then the morning i finish after my last night shift at 8am is classed as a day off even though i have worked 8 hours of it ! they want me to work the nexy day 8am - 2pm and the day after 8am - 2pm to make up the 37 hours for no extra pay,they say it is in my salary ! i am agaisnt this and feel i am being ripped off.
Any advice please ?

leylie

Have you had a look at ACAS to see if they can give you some advice? They have a leaflet about working hours - I didn't download it, so don't know how well it answers your question, but it's somewhere to start

http://http://www.acas.org.uk/index.aspx?articleid=1373

ABCDE_2

Thanks - but the link you gave does not work.

pmcx9

http://www.acas.org.uk/index.aspx?articleid=1373

Savvy_Sue

I am completely confused, because I can't see how 4 x 12 hour shifts and 2 x 6 hour shifts can be spaced out to give a 37 hour working week.

But start by looking at what your terms and conditions of employment say. If you don't have a copy, ask to see the one the employer is working from, which (presumably) they asked you to sign at some point.

Then it may be worth posting what that actually says.

Also what does a typical 'new' shift pattern look like, are you being moved from a 2 days and 2 nights on, 7 days off pattern to 2 days, 2 nights, 2 short days, 7 days off, or something different?

And how much notice of this have they given?

aj2703

From what i have read you work 4 days a week with a total of 48 hrs. You then have 7 days off work then come in and do the same. To me it looks like you only work a period of 24hrs a week if you average it out or :-

365 days in a year.

121 worked = 244 spare.
52 weeks @ 2 = weekend days = 104

140 days spare.

I make it you have not including weekends nearly 4 1/2 months off a year..?.

You get paid 16k for this, or 121 shifts @ 12 hours = 1452 hrs a year. If you divide those by £16k it works out at over £11 an hour. I can understand him saying nightshift and weekend rates are worked into it.

I think assuming i am reading it right your employer wants to now make you work the average working week of 37 hrs over six days. Then have seven days off. It seems to me that for 18 years you have had it easy.

I think your employer is doing the right thing for the company. I wouldn't complain at all. You may have to work an extra 2 days, but you are then getting 7 days off..!! This still leaves you with best part of 4 1/2 months off a year. Oh yeah and also your holidays too..!

(This is only if my maths is correct though):D

You then say at the end, you finish your nightshift at 8am then have to start the next morning at 8am and do a six hour day shift..? Where is the problem there as you are having one whole day off between those shifts..?

Where is it you work..? Can i have their number as i wouldn't mind a job there.:D