Decency for Dunnes Workers

Many members have been seeking additional information about “banded hour” contracts and how they work. There are a number of different methods in which workers can achieve secure guaranteed weekly earnings. Mandate members in Tesco have a different type of banded hour contract to members in Penneys. However, while they differ slightly, the common theme is that workers know their hours and earnings on a week to week basis and their employer cannot fluctuate those hours irresponsibly. The common features of banded hour contracts are outlined here.

1. THEY SHOULD REFLECT AND PROTECT ACTUAL WORKING HOURS

Banded hour contracts aim to reflect and protect the actual numbers of hours worked on a regular basis. These contracts still give an employer some degree of flexibility on the number of weekly working hours but they narrow the unnecessarily wide range of working hours such as the current 15 – 37.5 flex-hour contracts in Dunnes.

For example, if a banded hour system was established in 5-hour increments starting at a 20-hour weekly minimum, hour bands might look like the following: 20-25, 25-30, 30-35 and 35-39. Individuals would initially be placed in hour bands that reflect the average number of hours they have worked over an extended periodd such as 3 or 6 months. For example, someone working an average of 32 hours per week would be placed in a contractual band of 30-35 hours per week. This would mean that the total working hours could not contractually be dropped below 30 hours in a week. It also means that the employee would not be obliged to work above 35 hours in a week unless the employee agreed to work those additional hours offered above their band.

2. ALLOW FOR ADDITIONAL HOURS

Nothing in a  banded hour contract agreement prevents an employee from being offered or working additional hours above their contracted band in the employee agrees to work those additional hours.

3. MOVING BETWEEN BANDS

Under existing banded hour agreements when additional hours in a  store become available on a more permanent basis, hours are to be offered in the first instance to existing employees to give them the opportunity to move up bands should they be available and agreeable to do so. For example, if an additional 5-hour shift per week became available for someone in a 25-30 hour band, they may have the opportunity to gain additional hours and move up to a 30-35 hour band.

4. FIXED PART-TIME OR FULL-TIME WORKERS ARE NOT AFFECTED

Those workers on fixed hour part-time or fixed hour full-time contracts would be under no obligation to change their existing contracts of employment to a banded hour contract arrangement.

5. RATES OF PAY ARE NOT ASSOCIATED

Hourly rates of pay are not tied or associated with banded hour arrangements.

If you have additional questions regarding banded-hour contracts please contact Mandate Trade Union.