Hello. My agency want me to attend a training workshop (unpaid) it’s for a certain contact that I work on. They are saying that failure to attend will result in no work for said contact.
I was speaking to someone earlier and they seem to think that this is illegal ( unpaid work due to awr-agency working regulations)any swift advice will be much Appreciated. Thanks in advance
Do you want to work on that contract? Are they offering a guarantee of hours/shifts if you complete it? Have you got plenty of other work at the moment?
The answers to these questions will tell you what you have to do. Unfortunately that’s the way it goes at the moment.
I was working with an agency before Christmas who told me to go into Iceland at Warrington for a 4 hour unpaid induction. I ended up doing and was expected to do a shift after that. Then in January when things went quiet, I received a call to say I had to go back in for a full day unpaid induction. The reason was because the first one was not a “full” but an “emergency” induction. I said I at least want expenses since I am only getting 1 or 2 days work at the moment. (Usual January) and was told no. This was a week after they cut the rate by £1 an hour because “it was no longer peak period”
Needless to say I told them to stick it where the sun don’t shine. (and also the planner who tried to send me out on a second run)
It’s a lot easier to walk away from “No more work for said contract” than being sacked outright.
Yards are already running out of drivers, hence the need for so-called “emergency inductions” in the first place. Feet of clay means they won’t actually do the obvious, which is (1) Pay more (2) Pay expenses (3) Encourage new talent into the job anyway they can (4) don’t put off talent already attending.
The tide is starting to turn at long last. Hold your ground, and put in some more shifts at other firms that are not taking the ■■■■ - and let market forces finally take their course.
Funny things ,these ‘inductions’,that last as long as a shift.In my early days ,I got stiffed a couple of times for these,until I said ‘no I want paying’.As you can imagine,the work stopped to teach me a lesson…BUT ,the time comes when a driver is needed,and lo and behold ,the ‘induction’,gets reduced ,cos they are in the ■■■■, and need a driver.
Firstly they’re not “your agency” they are a bunch of chancing scumbags who would like you to believe that you exist to do them a favor.
When the opposite is the case you are in the driving seat (please excuse the pun)
The tide will soon turn tell them to go and whistle or better still go and get a proper job on the books you don’t need these thieves in the equation.
zeddman:
Funny things ,these ‘inductions’,that last as long as a shift.In my early days ,I got stiffed a couple of times for these,until I said ‘no I want paying’.As you can imagine,the work stopped to teach me a lesson…BUT ,the time comes when a driver is needed,and lo and behold ,the ‘induction’,gets reduced ,cos they are in the [zb], and need a driver.
Tell them that “If I am doing a whole shift, then no pay means no insurance, and I’m refusing for H&S reasons, and will report the yard to HSE whilst I’m at it”. The worst that can happen to you is be on the sidelines for a few weeks. Meanwhile, the yard will likely have some managers that are at least going to have to entertain some suddenly visiting HSE suits trying to find out why there are uninsured slaves on below minimum wage on the premises…