I am working at small family firm with about 25 trucks work is slow and redundencies are on the horizon.Trouble is they hired a new guy not 6 months ago as he was made redundent from his old job and as he is the bosses sons mate they took him on.Now our boss hires in a human resurces firm to deal with any thing like this mostly to cover his ■■■ legally and shaft us the staff.He will say well its the law outta my hands even though he hired them and its his firm.What happens is he uses a points system to decide who will go.you add points if you stay after your shift and wrap pallets do yard work,drive forklift before and after shifts and general duties.he gets round this by having the phrase driving and general duties must be flexable in working hours and duties in his handbook of rules.Guess who drew that one up? human resurces.He also has started to hand out written warnings when anyone call in to complain about our driving but we dont see the complaint or have the details just says an incident on august 12 or whatever.3 of these and your up the road.There are many other issues but this is the current one.If any of us ask him for anything or complain he says if your not happy leave or gives you all the crappy jobs for weeks for dareing to speak up.This new guy is getting 4 nights out a week so making more money someone complained and this letter went up To all staff it has come to my attention there has been a lot of back biting over who does what work.this will not be tolerated if you have aproblem come and see me.Yea right see above 
Now the obvious answer is leave but it has small benifits like no weekends,bank holidays work and its handy to me and its clean good work mostly.so where do I stand legaly should I get a lawer if made redundant or take the money and sign on the agency?
How long have worked there ?
How old are you ?
It’s sounds as though you may be better off taking the money and running.
If you’re ‘lucky’ they may leave themselves open to a cliam of unfair selection/dismissal based on the systems of selection and/or procedure.
The “Last In/First Out” thing is doubtful these days and many Companies/HR firms are scared of it due the recent Age Discrimination rules/laws.
The points system is used as it can be quite flexible for the company, and cover things relevant to the type of work. For instance: productivity, length of service, vehicle damage, absence etc etc. Some things can be unfair, for instance they could use fuel-efficient driving, but if you always do a run that has the maximum load, or just a thirsty vehicle, then you will be at a disadvantage. The system has to be able to be applied fairly and equally to all those likely to be affected.
If you feel that something in the points system is unfair (no proof of these complaints might be unfair) then you can appeal, in writing, within the time limit given (usually about 7 days) but they should tell you if it affects you. You may not get anywhere, but you have that right of appeal.
If you do appeal - have specific reasons and make it concise, don’t just say “it’s not fair”
If you go by the book and it does go to tribunal, you will win, backstabbing only makes it worse, a dozen drivers plotting in the yard will turn out to be only you when you get called into the managers office, the rest will be nodding along and agreeing with him. We had the same problems at GBE, the same few getting the Sunday start, the same few running in late on a Saturday preventing working a Sunday, ever!
Thanks for the replies.I have worked for the firm 15 yrs I am 40 and to blow my own trumpet never so much as scratched a wagon.It’s a tricky situation as the unwritten law is the more you lick the gaffers ■■■ the better off you are at any points hearings.A them and us situation has evolved not between management but the drivers who split into groups of who can polish the truck the most,be the sons mate the most,come in at 4am to open up and tip the night trunk then work 12 -15 hrs then come back and re load the night trunk,who can rush back so they can mow grass round the office etc.I and few others just do our job and go home and this goes against us as pointed out the points system is made to fit what situation the boss wants.Here is an example the last guy made redundant was messed about for months hoping he would just leave.Typical job was the boss would give him multi drops to London on Thursdays then back load from tilbury dock late Thursday night.He would not get to Tilbury till around 4 pm so the queue was massive and he would be just about out of hrs.As you know there is no overnight parking in the dock or much nr it so he would have to either go over his hrs to load and park or fiddle his tacho as the load would be 7 am delivery the next day back in the midlands.As he would not leave the human resorces team came in and asked who would want redunacy or we go to the points system.He knew the score so took the redundancy.Not 3 months later he had a stroke the boss saw him in town when he recoverd and actually said.“shame that never happened before I had to pay you off could have got shot for nowt” I could write a book about the things that go on there.Anyway the company handbook is like chairman mows red book covers everything and only on the bosses side.We had to sign for it as we agree to the rules if we don’t sign then no contract so no job.We asked about if we are coverd for our stuff in the waggons at his yard and our cars for damage etc.Day later signs go up MANAGEMENT WILL NOT BE HELD RESPONSIBLE FOR LOSS OR DAMAGE TO PERSONAL PROPERTY ON THESE PREMISES.Sorry to keep moaning but I am ■■■■■■ in the wind here I just wanna know my wrights as I don’t want to go without a fight.
Ignore my previous post then, it don’t sound like you have any wrights, sorry I mean Rights!
It does sound like Arselicker Transport, not our own r slicker of course 
Yep its a r slickers paradise.I must be hungry was thinking of wrights pies Besides If I could spell I would be the 9-5 guy in the traffic office “its only that far on the map” Not the numptee who is in permanant jet lag from lack of sleep being ■■■■ on by everyone from the boss,to the all mighty forklift guy who is finshing at 5 so can’t begin unloading at 4,the hitler on goods in who must have you there at 4 am cuz it’s your booking time but keeps you there 2 hrs for 4 pallets to the 4x4 school run mums who realy wanna see how the kids would come out of a pile up with 44 tonne truck. This job is great all we need are the european union making up some more rules and some failed sweeny coppers in vosa vans and it would be fantastic 
