Union Mail – February 2012

Branch Hours Survey & Overtime

Over the past two months we have been asking members in the Branch Network to complete our survey about working hours and overtime. We have had over 1000 responses and this has helped establish a picture of the working arrangements across the Network and revealed a number of concerns about the approach being applied to overtime and the culture in some Areas of the Network.

The general conclusion of the survey will come as no surprise – overwhelmingly branch employees are working significant amounts of unpaid overtime. To some extent this has always been the case; branch opening and closing procedures have always dictated that some early starts and late finishes are inevitable. Many of you have told us that you’ve been happy in the past to do these extra ‘free’ hours but changes to the way overtime and Saturday working have been implemented over the past six months are eroding this goodwill.

We have been discussing the results of the Survey with the Society and we have highlighted a number of concerns about the overtime and TOIL arrangements. We have asked that all branch employees and managers are reminded about the correct overtime procedures – in particular that it confirms that it remains appropriate for overtime to be paid where contractual obligations exist and where it is necessary to maintain branch operations.

We hope that this latest communication will be sent soon and will ensure that the overtime arrangements will now be applied fairly and where they are not, that employees will feel empowered to raise concerns with their local management teams and Union Representatives.

We will be publishing a more details of the issues emerging from the survey in a Special Issue Rapport and this will be sent to Branches over the next few weeks and will be available to download from our website.
Tim Poil
General Secretary

Regional Council Dates February 2012

Dunfermline – 22 Feb 2012

Retail North 1 – 23 Feb 2012

National Executive Committee (NEC) Vacancies

We currently have three vacancies on the Union’s National Executive Committee (NEC). These are for National Regional Officers for the following Regions:

• Retail North 1 (North & West Scotland; Northern England & Southern Scotland; Northern Counties;
North West; Northern Ireland)
• Dunfermline
• Northampton Administration Centre (including Sheffield & Wakefield)

I am now calling for nominations for these important positions. Members wishing to stand for the NEC must be proposed and seconded by members from within the Region they are seeking to represent. Completed nomination forms must be received at the Union Office in Middleton Cheney by Friday 24th February. For more details and a nomination form, please call Steve Barnes, NGSU President, or Tim Rose, Assistant General Secretary (Services), on 01295 710767.

Representative Support Officer

The vacancy at NAC arises following the appointment of Kerry Wagg, current NRO for Northampton, as NGSU Representative Support Officer. We are delighted that Kerry will be joining the Union in a full time role. Kerry has been an active Representative; a member of the NEC and a Disciplinary Officer for many years and will add valuable experience to our team.

Tim Poil
General Secretary

Work Your Proper Hours Day: Friday 24 February 2012

Now in its ninth year, Work Your Proper Hours Day is a TUC campaign to highlight the unsung extra hours that workers across the UK put in to boost our economy.

More than five million employees across the UK worked a record £29 billion of unpaid overtime last year. The two billion hours of unpaid overtime is the equivalent of a million extra full-time jobs – that’s lots of free work at a time of high unemployment and when paid overtime for workers is falling.

The TUC will be urging people to take part in Work Your Proper Hours Day by taking a proper lunch break and leaving work on time.

We know this is a campaign that will strike a chord with many NGSU members who work significant amounts of overtime – much of it now largely unpaid. If you’d like to find out more about the campaign visit the TUC’s Worksmart website:www.worksmart.org.uk/workyourproperhoursday/

February’s Draw Results

First Prize: £11,029

Anna Godding – Regulatory Risk

Second Prize: £5,000

Darren Cronin – Canterbury (High Street)

Third Prize: £2,000

Liam Kelly – Treasury Markets

Fourth Prizes: £500

Jeanette Gallagher – Pension Fund Member
Deborah James – Newport (Gwent)
Christine Hateley – Member Service