Non footy but your opinions appreciated

Do you think it is right that as a maintenance engineer I am expected to do a 12 hr shift without a chair/stool in the workshop. If I am needed on breakdowns I do not get a tea break I have to work through them and take a break when I can. But if it is quiet I wait in the workshop and not allowed to sit on the bench. They will not allow stools/chairs in the workshop. Yesterday I worked on a breakdown from 05.20 to 12.45 without a break
Today I'm told get off the bench and stand up. What do you reckon....?

 

Is this in the UK?

 

You in a union? I personally think that sounds very unreasonable - is there anyone you can contact about it?

 

http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/1992/3004/made

Have a look at section 11

 

That's nowt. Sometimes people expect professional footballers to play three hours of football in a week.

Seriously, there is no way that can possibly be legal in this day and age.

 

I've just finished a 12 and a half hr shift (nhs) and havn't had a break: this is the norm on most shifts. I do get to sit down from time to time though, to do notes etc. It sounds like your working in a stalinesque environment, not good at all (name and shame, your anonymous on here)

 

We used to get up..

..at 5 in the morning three hours before we went to bed and pay 't mill owner for 't privilege of coming in to work...

Sorry, inappropriate in regard to your original post but I couldn't resist.

I would echo what people have said about joining a union. Your employers seem very unreasonable.

 

There is something called the European Working Times Directive. It regulates things like that.
Unfortunately we have just voted to scrap such over regulation. So expect to be working much longer in future.

 

Until such time as we actually leave this still stands tho'.

 

Those working conditions are terrible but after Brexit they will seem like you are being pampered.

Workers and Human rights will all soon be a thing of the past and that cow Mrs May will just love the thought of shitting on us all.

 

I think most people opt out of this in their contracts anyway.

 

The working time laws in the UK will apply whether we're in the EU or not. They're part of UK law now so the in/out debate is irrelevant. The same applies to lots of other employee protection regulatons, but this point is often "conveniently" forgotten in the EU debate.

 

Just watch this space. The Tories have never approved of the European working time regulations. My guess its one of the early things they delight in scrapping. Like many other laws they have slipped through undermining employees rights.

 

You might want to check out the working time directives. Pretty sure you must have at least 1 half hour break in that time, along with shorter breaks every 2-3 hours and you should have at least 12 hours off between shifts...

 

Fairly sure you can only opt out of the maximum working hours - so you can do overtime voluntarily. The rest of it still applies though.

 

and Parliament can pass an act to repeal the legislation

 

My point is that during the campaign a lot of people in the remain camp claimed that EU legislation protects employees from dodgy employers. That's simply not true. Most such legislation is UK based and in many cases is stronger than EU legislation. A future government may or may not repeal it, but that's not my point. My point is that the referendum result is in my opinion invalid because of the lies told on both sides in the run up, of which this is just 1 example.

 

we actually get one half hour break only over the course of the 12 and a half hour shift, which is not a lot. The reason why we dont take the break generally is because we do not have enough staff and the patients would suffer. Conversely if we did want to take the break we would be unable to do so because the staffing levels would be deemed unsafe. Its a lose lose situation for us. Management will argue that if you want your break then try to get a member of staff from another ward to cover you (the other wards are in the same situation as us so this never happens). It stinks that we are being purposely denied appropriate staffing levels to save money.

 

Are you paid for your breaks (which you don't take) or are they unpaid?

 

The break is unpaid.