ROSTERING ISSUES, CATERING GRADES – AVANTI WEST COAST

Our Ref: BR2/8/2

 

2 February 2024

 

 

Dear RMT Member

 

ROSTERING ISSUES, CATERING GRADES – AVANTI WEST COAST

 

Please read the following message from your Lead Officer Craig Johnston:

 

“On 1 February 2024 RMT Catering Company Council Members, along with myself, met with Avanti West Coast.

 

The principal purpose of the meeting was to challenge Avanti’s use of STP diagrams rather than LTP diagrams. With STP, our members are subject to the potential of a two-hour movement changing substantially times at work and their agreed rosters.

 

Examples were shared of STP diagrams that mirror the original LTP diagram - indeed an analysis of some STP diagrams done by the RMT Catering Company Council Reps shows that some STP turns are (at face value) identical to the LTP turns they have replaced.

 

The uncertainty of what shift you are working and finishing time is ruining the work/life balance for many members of staff and we cannot continue like this. The Avanti Diagram section attended the meeting with the Catering Company Council and made a presentation on their role.

 

However, the RMT reps in the Catering Company Council were disappointed that, despite our requests, there was no one there from the Avanti Resources.

 

The Catering Company Council believes that LTP diagrams are being replaced by STP diagrams when they have the same booking on, and off times and other features and aspects are the same.

 

There are suggestions to improve the situation, but we are unable to make progress on these matters because the resources section was not in attendance. We need the right people in terms of resource managers and company decision makers at the meeting to try and resolve these issues and improve the working situation for Avanti caterers.

 

Catering Company Council RMT reps submitted a detailed questions relating to these matters in advance of the meeting - some seventeen questions were submitted to the business back on 18 January 2024 - we have received responses from the diagram section at the meeting and we can circulate them as soon as we have them BUT the principle issues are with resources - as they weren’t there (despite us requesting their attendance) we have not been able to make the necessary or desired progress to resolve these issues.

 

This meeting has now recorded an FTA on this issue and a report will be submitted to the RMT General Secretary Mick Lynch requesting the issue be discussed by our union executive with a view to registering a dispute over the application of STP turns for Avanti Caterers.

 

We remain available for talks to resolve this matter - especially if we can get the appropriate people in the room with us to discuss these matters further.

 

 

• STPs – are cancelled/amended & special turns
• LTPs – are jobs in your base roster that change historically Dec & May.
• FTA – We register a breakdown in process and if unresolved could escalate to a ballot. “

 

Yours sincerely

 

Michael Lynch

General Secretary