No Confidence in unite Olive Grove

I propose a vote of no confidence in the current representation of member interests by the Unite 302 union for First Olive Grove drivers in Sheffield.

I belive that the union has completely disregarded memebers best interests in securing the acceptable working conditions for drivers for the following reasons.

1.1 Failure to ensure better notice of duty/shift changes.  Current contractual terms stating 10 days notice, which is insufficient.

1.2 Failure to ensure days off are un-affected by duty/shift changes.  Specifically, two duty/shift changes in less than three months (1st January 2017, 29th January 2017 and again in Spring 2017).

1.3 Failure to consult or ballat members on First's choices in how to pay wages, i.e. Xmas 2016 where memebers were given a "loan", which they were not consulted on, in lieu of wage.  The company refered to this as a "loan", without any signed agreement from members where as contracts state that stopages from wages should cover short payment of revenues only.       1.3.1 Failure to inform memebers of the above wage payments for Xmas 2016.  1.3.2 Failure to ballet memebers on such a significantly effecting decision.

1.4  Failure to secure adequate working conditions, namely recovery times, transition/walking times between duties, depot, city centre etc.  The current duties do not adequately allow time for drivers to recover lost time at the end of a duty, therefore running late.  The current duties do not adequately allow time for drivers to personally recover themselves after a duty i.e. relive yourself of bodily fuilds.

1.5 Failure to support drivers on the road, namely adequate support via the radio and operations desk.  Too often, radio calls are not returned and phone calls to the operations desk go un-answered.  The union is aware of these failures by the company but has done nothing to raise the issue and ensure resolution.  So far the new radio system stil results in call being un-answered.

1.6 Deception that there is an agreement in place regarding duty/shift changes that conflicting time off within a month of a re-write of the working schedules will be honoured.  Evidence shows that there is no agreement in place and that the company has the right to refuse time off requests as this is only a "gentlmans agreement" between the two parties.  As such, personally arranged events based on stated days off on one schedule may not be allowable after a change in rotas.

1.7 Never being available to memebers.  Despite there being a union presence within the depot/archway office, union memberrepresentatives appear to be physically un-available for the majority of time.

I propose a vote of no confidence in the current representation as described above from my experiences and after having spoken with many other First Drivers for Oliver Grove, Sheffield.  I propose that the above points constitue a failing in union representation of members.  That new resperenstation is required to ensure a change in working conditions to benefit drivers.  To ensure days off are un-affected and to ensure memebers are communicated with/balleted when major decisions are required (such as if wages are to be paid by "loan").  To negotiaton longer notice persiods in relations to duty/shift changes, increasing from 10 days to 30 minimum.  

I believe that ultimately the union do not have it's memebers and the interest of divers at heart.  That decisions are being made without consultation with memebers of any kind and without appropriate forethought to the affect of memebers.

PLEASE ENSURE THAT YOU GIVE YOUR NAME AND NUMBER AS STATED AS PER YOUR UNITE MEMBERSHIP. 

 

We need approximately 50% of members in this petition to force a vote.