On August 21st, I had a Meeting planned with Babs at 3pm for a ‘new contract review.’ (These new contracts caused quite an upset between the Drivers because this company had years of notice to implement the changes but left it to the ‘11th hour’ to do so, which caused a ‘reactionary’ response and were ‘pushed’ through quite quickly with little notice). That day, three of us drivers had already approached the in-store Union Rep. in the morning- making enquiries about starting a ‘work to rule’ protest because of the working conditions within the department (which you will read about in my 2nd Letter).
After talking and listening to the other Drivers concerns about these ‘new contracts’ I wanted to check my position further with the Union- at 14:45pm I messaged Babs informing her I wouldn’t be attending the meeting because I wanted to take further advice from the Union, Babs immediately Phoned me back and told me, “it is mandatory to attend” and she had arranged for “Carol from Head Office to sit in on the meeting with us, Therefore, I would need to attend.” I was not very happy with this news, I wasn’t able to check my rights with the Union, I had not been informed there would be another person attending the meeting (especially from Head Office) and I felt as though I had been Ambushed- I had only 15minutes notice and I only got that because I had made contact with Babs to cancel the meeting.
When I arrived at the meeting, Carol (People Partner- Head Office based) introduced herself to me and explained that her job was to facilitate between Managers and staff when there are issues between them (and she used to work in this Branch but now covers several branches over the area) Carol also told me, I had nothing to worry about, she was only there to assist Babs with this meeting, not me.
Well, Carol totally hijacked most of the meeting- OMG! I have never met someone who could talk so much without taking a break- Carol talked so much, I was unable to hear what she was saying let alone take it in- in the end, I had to ‘switch her off’ and turn away from her back to Babs but, just as I turned, I then heard Carol say “you would have been given the chance to review your working hours at your review in (the previous) March/April” (which would have allowed me to change or reduce my contracted hours, but, even more importantly, reduce my ‘Availability,’ which can affect any new Contracted working Hours quite considerably- and was not explained at the time of signing the forms at my Interview- in fact I can recall Babs ‘sitting back’ in her chair and saying nothing while I filled in that form- reducing my Hours/Availability had been something I wanted to do for some time).
I turned to Babs and said “but you didn’t give me that review, did you Babs?” Babs looked at me very sheepishly (as though she had just been found out) and shaking her Head, replied “no, I didn’t.” Carol then responded with a reply (which I can’t recall) in an attempt to justify her obvious mistake in announcing that information. At the end of the Meeting, as I was leaving the room, Carol (sarcastically) said to me “good luck with everything,” (referring to my accusations of the Bullying and I believe, in the knowledge a Private Detective had been engaged).
I later requested to be given the opportunity to change my contracted hours (which I had been entitled to do under this Company’s own ‘Policy & Procedures’ and I would have been looking to do, if Babs hadn’t denied me the opportunity) before negotiating the new contracts that were about to be introduced, Carol told me “as those reviews were not ‘legally-binding,’ we are not obliged to do so” and “we wouldn’t be offering you the chance to do so.” Babs (smugly) refused to change the new Shift Pattern I had chosen (I believe- in the hope I would be upset with the harder/unsociable shifts and it would add more pressure to encourage me to leave).
However, I later hand delivered a letter to Babs pointing out that I had made her aware I was unwell and struggling to ‘take in’ the information, and although she had told me to take my time and take a moment, she had continued providing me with information and pressurising me to choose a Shift Pattern and failed to give me the chance to ‘compose’ myself, therefore, I signed that contract ‘under Duress,’ making that Contract ‘null & Void’- (returning me to my original Contract). Two days later, another meeting was arranged with Babs, Isaac (Manager) myself and a union Rep. to agree to an alternative Shift Pattern. Babs was quite resistant (having to leave the room to make Phone calls before agreeing to any changes) but, we got to a new agreement in the end.
The new Contracts were introduced within a week (from notice to signing new contracts and the new working hours started the following week).