Flexible working arrangement be overruled by Collective bargaining agreement

[user1480111163]

Our company have just entered an consultation period for collection bargaining period.

I have an current flexible working arrangement, which I have for childcare needs I've had this for 6 years and no issue's with colleagues and work loads ect..

But in our consultation pack it states hour hours will be reduced from 39 to 37 hours. Under a heading of Working Hours:

The standard full time working hours will be 37 hours a week. In Building Services, variable hours contracts will be introduced with a rota for evening and weekends appointments

Will this line overrule my current flexible working arrangements? And what does the wording actually mean?

I've never been involved in the weekend and evenings appointments under my current contract, but the new job discriptions are worded in a way that the 2 sections are merged into one.(We're appealing our job discriptions as a team)

You need to ask your union, but given this is a significant change of terms and conditions, I would guess that the likelihood is that it would "reset" everyone to the standard terms and any variation would have to be agreed.

I think the wording is pretty clear. Contracted staff will have a reduction in hours to 37, but that some evening and weekend working will be required.

This is exactly what I think, I've asked various questions in an email regarding this including, how they expect our section will be going forward.

From our new job discriptions and general movement both sections will be as one, but our work will continue to be with where our knowledge and skills are, but I suspect that they will try and put us on evenings and weekends appointments. I'm happy to work later Monday and Tuesdays as that's what I currently do that's in my flexible working agreement.

But I need to continue to start later and Finnish earlier due to child care needs. Weekends are a definite no, except in occasionally circumstances. Again I mentioned this in my email

Having said this my original contract was to work 39 hours Monday to Friday between 8am and 8pm and Saturdays 8am to 12pm. So that was there and the flexible working arrangement changed this.

My Union trade rep is useless, and just say read the pack, and says he can't help as im a one off case. I've gotten in touch with the regional office someone should be contacting me Tuesday.

I think you need to understand that nobody can negotiate your individual terms if the main contractual terms are still in negotiation, so asking / expecting them to do so will get you nowhere, and the regional officers vcannot do anything different. If (and I emphasise this is an "if") the changes are eventually agreed to a common base contract, it is only at that point anyone can start to negotiate (where possible) variations. You union officer - in this situation at least - is not being useless. They taking the only possible approach.

I'm happy to work later Monday and Tuesdays as that's what I currently do that's in my flexible working agreement.
But I need to continue to start later and Finnish earlier due to child care needs. Weekends are a definite no, except in occasionally circumstances. Again I mentioned this in my email

With respect, whilst I appreciate your issues and sympathise, these are not your employers problems, and what you personally are happy with and/or can't do are not of any intetest to them. IF (and please understand that these are all "ifs") the collective bargaining comes to a conlcusion with a contractual change, and IF that resets everyones contracts, then you will have to apply for a flexible working arrangements again, and all the ususal rules will apply - if it can be accommodated within the business needs, then it should be agreed. But equally it may not be (I can't predict what business needs will be, obviously) or the employer may offer a different pattern. There will be no "jumping the gun" and getting your wishes assessed first - once a new contract is in place (if it is agreed) then everyone will be able to apply for lexible terms if that is what they would like. Nobody will be guaranteed what they want.

It is possible, but again, not definite, that if you are unable to secure the flexible terms you might qualify for redundancy, but that is impossible to assess on broad information like this, and something that, if necessary, you would need to speak to your union about.