Can my work make me do this?

fraz101

So I have been employed by a national diy company for the past year or so and have been paid the NMW,however in October last year I was asked if I would consider gaining my Fork Lift Truck license,which I did and signed a new contract with a 25p/hour increase in pay.

Received a call on my day off last week basically telling me that from 1st April I will receive the NMW again,as it has increased to 7.20 from then onwards.

So I have taken on extra responsibility of driving their FLT and now will receive no extra for the pleasure,where as employees in store who do not wish the responsibility of driving it will be paid the same rate as me.

I understand it's not illegal what they have done but where do I stand? Can I refuse to drive it and request I return to a non FLT driver as I was previously?

HappyMJ

fraz101 wrote: »

So I have been employed by a national diy company for the past year or so and have been paid the NMW,however in October last year I was asked if I would consider gaining my Fork Lift Truck license,which I did and signed a new contract with a 25p/hour increase in pay.

Received a call on my day off last week basically telling me that from 1st April I will receive the NMW again,as it has increased to 7.20 from then onwards.

So I have taken on extra responsibility of driving their FLT and now will receive no extra for the pleasure,where as employees in store who do not wish the responsibility of driving it will be paid the same rate as me.

I understand it's not illegal what they have done but where do I stand? Can I refuse to drive it and request I return to a non FLT driver as I was previously?

You could quit and move to another job where they do pay more for people with a FLT licence.

You can refuse to do the work you're not being paid for if you wish. Nobody is forcing you to do anything.

Darksparkle

Did your contract say you must be paid 25p above NMW or did it simply say your new hourly rate?

fraz101

Darksparkle wrote: »

Did your contract say you must be paid 25p above NMW or did it simply say your new hourly rate?

It just stated my new hourly rate

When I signed the contract the NMW was 6.50 and my new FLT contract was for 6.81 so 31p increase for taking on the extra role.
Then NMW went to 6.70 and they increased FLT drivers rate to 6.95 however I didn't sign a new contract for this.

Now we are basically being told there is no extra for taking on the FLT duties

fraz101

HappyMJ wrote: »

You could quit and move to another job where they do pay more for people with a FLT licence.

You can refuse to do the work you're not being paid for if you wish. Nobody is forcing you to do anything.

Well I did sign a contract to drive the FLT but it was an increase in pay,that's the reason I did it,now it isn't an increase,hence my unhappiness

HappyMJ

fraz101 wrote: »

Well I did sign a contract to drive the FLT but it was an increase in pay,that's the reason I did it,now it isn't an increase,hence my unhappiness

I don't blame you. There's plenty of assistant store managers that are on £7.20 an hour right now with all that responsibility who will soon be paid exactly the same as the workers with no management responsibility at all. I think they as well as you either negotiate to get more money or they leave and find somewhere else to work.

patman99

You could refuse to drive the FLT until you get your extra 25p/hr back, but then they would just let you go and replace you with someone at NMW as you have not been there for 2 years yet.

How easy would it be for you to get a FLT drivers job elsewhere?. Well, that depends on the type of FLT operator's certificate you possess.
If you have a counter balance, then you will be up against loads of others with the same certificate. However, if you have a 'bendi' o/c, then this is a bit more 'specialized' so there will be less competition (but also les jobs available).

What do your co-workers with FLT o/c's think about 'no extra money'?.

fraz101

HappyMJ wrote: »

I don't blame you. There's plenty of assistant store managers that are on £7.20 an hour right now with all that responsibility who will soon be paid exactly the same as the workers with no management responsibility at all. I think they as well as you either negotiate to get more money or they leave and find somewhere else to work.

I have a meeting with management this week but I'm pretty sure I know what is going to happen,if I refuse to drive it I will be sacked for gross misconduct or whatever term is used,they won't give me my previous contract back as they are quids in having all FLT drivers doing it for NMW

The bit I don't understand is why they increased FLT rate of pay in October when NMW increased only for them to not do it in April

Darksparkle

fraz101 wrote: »

I have a meeting with management this week but I'm pretty sure I know what is going to happen,if I refuse to drive it I will be sacked for gross misconduct or whatever term is used,they won't give me my previous contract back as they are quids in having all FLT drivers doing it for NMW

The bit I don't understand is why they increased FLT rate of pay in October when NMW increased only for them to not do it in April

Probably because they don't need to.

fraz101

patman99 wrote: »

You could refuse to drive the FLT until you get your extra 25p/hr back, but then they would just let you go and replace you with someone at NMW as you have not been there for 2 years yet.

How easy would it be for you to get a FLT drivers job elsewhere?. Well, that depends on the type of FLT operator's certificate you possess.
If you have a counter balance, then you will be up against loads of others with the same certificate. However, if you have a 'bendi' o/c, then this is a bit more 'specialized' so there will be less competition (but also les jobs available).

What do your co-workers with FLT o/c's think about 'no extra money'?.

There are 3 of us and to be honest I'm the only the person who is making any noise about it,the other 2 will just do it and not say a word.
I'm sure every store will have employees who feel like I do thought.

With regards to FLT it is a bendi truck but we don't get the certificate and it is not transferable to other employers as far as I'm aware

fraz101

Darksparkle wrote: »

Probably because they don't need to.

They didn't need to in October but did