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Back Can you really trust management? by Bob Franks Hi, my name is Bob Franks, and I would like to talk to anyone who has had experience with companies who abuse their employees. Recently I worked for a UK based company, installing and repairing neon lighting. Neon lighting is the stuff that you see around in night clubs and such like. As a fully qualified electrician the job itself was a complete ‘no brainier’, requiring only common sense and a good head for heights. As the job took me all over the UK and Ireland, we were supplied with company vehicles, which we used in our out of work hours as well. We all paid extra tax for the privilege of bring able to take and use the vehicles in our private time, and paid for the diesel that we used. Before Christmas 2005, we were all salaried, around £17,000 per. Year, which was enough to keep us happy. We were even given the odd day off when work was slack. As we neared August 2005, a number of large orders came in, and we were told that ‘some’ extra overtime would be required. Now, to me and my colleagues, ‘some’ meant the odd hour here and there, and weekends were not mentioned. Two weeks after the bulk orders came in, and we were working 70 hour weeks, loading and even setting off for work on Sundays, and generally working every hour god sent. This situation went on for nearly two months, and most of us were worn out, both physically and mentally. We all got together and decided to discuss the situation with management, to see if we could get more pay, or less hours. Management told us that the situation was in hand, and they would get back to us shortly. A month passed. We could take no more. We told management that enough was enough, and we needed a decision soon. We were told that they would get back to us within the week. Another month passed. We all got together again and wrote a letter, signed by all of us, stating that unless some sort of idea was put before us within a week, that we would be working our normal hours, and no overtime would be worked, as we all felt, and were being clearly exploited. Management came back to us, and told us all that they were willing to offer us all hourly pay. Great! At least we would be getting paid for the hours that we were working! We were all asked to arrive at the offices, and were pulled in one at a time. At this meeting we had our new contracts explained to us, now don’t get me wrong, I’m no shop steward type, I just want to be paid for what I work. At the back of the contract of employment, there was a short paragraph stating that we would not be paid for hours that we did not work. Management assured us that this would never happen, that we would be ‘quid’s in’, ‘we couldn’t loose’, that this was a reward for all the long hours that we had done, and we would be far better off. I suppose that these statements should have set alarm bells ringing. The next weeks, we all set off for work, all happy and raring to go. That was a really good week, we did nearly 70 hours, and we could look forward to a decent wage at the end of the month. The trouble started the weeks after, when work seemed to dwindle to nothing, and we were spending more and more time at home. Of course, this meant that we were not getting paid. A few of us had to sign on at the dole office so we could buy food, it really was that bad. The moral of this story: Never, ever trust management. Remember, they haven’t got your interests at heart, only their shareholders and their wallets. Author's Biography: Bob Franks is the owner of |
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