Or should I not lose a full day's pay for striking?

[baxterstockman]

We went on strike for a day in November.

I have just had it brought to my attention that I lost a full day's pay for striking, despite the fact I work part time (6 hours per day as opposed to the 7h 30 a full time staff member would work)

I emailed the head of finance who said that 'unfortunately management decided that all staff would lose a full day's pay regardless of their working pattern'.

AIBU to think this is completely unfair - a full day for me is 6 hours!

Whilst it is only a small amount of money that I have lost out on:

a) It is the principle
b) We have to strike for a full day and a half in a few weeks so I will presumably lose out more than other colleagues again.

YANBU, you should only lose pay equivalent to the amount of hours you would have been working.

But you do not have to strike.

Highly unfair! Raise it with the union that you striked with!!

Isn't it fairly common that you don't get paid for striking?

Sounds as if they're penalising you for your working pattern - get your union rep to take it up for you, as if there are people working pt due to a protected characteristic such as disability your employer silk be truly in the shit.

Perhaps this means you can take 7hrs 30m the next time you take a day off?

God it must be a pain for payroll to sort out
Or you in HE as they keep striking ?

Oh, and don't work the 1'5 hours you haven't been paid for.

I will raise it with the Union - but to be honest they have a fair bit on their plate at the minute and not sure it will be a priority.

Just DP and I are in the same job so stand to lose a fair amount of money for the next strike. I know I don't have to strike but I feel very strongly about what the government is doing to our profession.

You should only get docked for YOUR Normal working day

nickynack - but it is not common to charge someone for striking which is what the OP's company are doing

OP go and see your union and sort it with them, also make sure you pay for your pension for the day otherwise you will have a break in service

Ah right, I see!

pussycatdoll
I can see that it would be a pain in the arse for Payroll to sort out but that isn't really my fault!
Am a Probation Officer

I'd email finance back and explain that you've not been deducted an entire day, but 125% of a day, or a day and a quarter. As it stands, I'm pretty certain that they are breaching your contract of employment with regards to renumeration.

Thanks MangoBiscuit. I can't see how they can take more money off me than I would have earned for one day. I will pursue it.

Yanbu cheeky buggers

So they've 'fined' you for striking?

Illegal I would have thought.

They are wrong. You lose the amount you would earn that day and no more. Last time I went on strike I made sure that finance knew that I was contracted to work only 1/3rd of a full day on strike day. My wage was docked accordingly.

If you weren't available for work that day because you were on strike then you shouldn't be paid and for you that's 6hours. How difficult is that?

You can bet they'd get it right if they owed you a 'days' pay.

They're in the wrong. Part-timers are more likely to be women, so by discriminating against part-timers (which is what they're doing) they're potentially engaging in unlawful sexual discrimination.

Definitely go back to them, point out that they have effectively fined you 1.5 hours for striking, and that you think this is an unlawful deduction from your wages.

Yup it's unlawful deduction of wages. And potentially indirect discrimination if you can establish this disproportionately negatively affects female staff. That's with my legal head on. However... I know there's principles involved but I would tread lightly!

Well I was feeling a bit miffed about this earlier, but now I have a few other people's opinions am pretty angry.

I will speak to Finance again in the morning and get the other part timers I know on side - perhaps with some pressure they will do what's right.

God knows how many more times we will be expected to strike in the next few months whilst the government pushes through their appalling reforms. I will need every penny I can get!

Yanbu, they are illegally deducting from your pay.

In addition to what mango biscuit says, I'd also argue it was an illegal deduction of earnings. Do you have anything set out in writing about what happens in a strike, either in your contract or elsewhere? One of these conditions have to apply for a deduction to be made:

required or authorised by legislation (for example, income tax or national insurance deductions)
authorised by the worker's contract - provided the worker has been given a written copy of the relevant terms or a written explanation of them before it is made
consented to by the worker in writing before it is made.

(From ACAS).