And
In my view the recent Royal Mail dispute has nothing to do with ours. (Incidently, during the strike days I saw lots of postman, posting and Royal Mail lorries and vans bombing around)!
I think it's about the company believing it has the right (as a last resort), to bring in change in areas it thinks it only needs to consult on, (non contractual).
Contractual issues around pay and leave do require negotiation with the trade unions but don't form part of this dispute (crewing levels are pending trial). No pay or leave is changing. (The company has made an offer around consolodating variable pay, they are not imposing it and have only suggested it because crew asked fot it)!
It's an item for future negotiation.
The company will be able to demonstrate that it has tried very hard to consult what ever happens.
Also, re. the what happens if list of stuff from the Union.
I understand an employer can give 90 days notice of contractual change, as has been the case in loads of other deparments.
So, it can change your contract if proper guidlines are followed.
For strikers; dismissal is an option, but not legal (as said before). If you do strike you are definately in breach of contract, where does that leave your old contract if you return?
If the company wanted to lockout strikers I would imagine the easy way would be to deactivate their ID cards.
Lockouts, can really concentrate the mind, it gives some control back to the company, creates a lot of uncertainty and is perfectly legal. (The company does have to add on lockout days when totaling up the 12 week period when they can then dismiss strikers legally).
Will the union cover pay for lock out days?
I have always understood that staff travel is non contractual, however as said before a test case may prove otherwise.
That does not stop the company putting an embargo on all staff travel, for all staff when ever the company wants. It has done this in the past and I am sure it will again. It has to provide as many seats as possible for customers who are disrupted.
Anyone know anything different from the above?
Can anyone shed some light on the law/process around freezing a ballots result in order to delay taking strike action within the required 4 weeks?
So it can be taken at a later stage.
(As usual all my thoughts in response to previous posts. They do not represent my employer or any other party)
Last edited by Clarified; 10th Dec 2009 at 12:01.