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[HarrisonFamily]

Sorry for the long post.....but here goes...

 

I have been going to Aqua fit for 2 years at the local council pool, the class has been run by a lovely lady for 15 years...she is amazing at her job and the most talented instructor I have ever used (this is felt by all members who attend ) she has worked since 2002 for 4 hours a week employed directly by the council for £25.00 per hour, to get this rate she has always been told to put in more hours than she works to make the £25.00 so that her hourly rate doesn't look higher than all the life guards etc, she has no contract as it has always been on a casual basis even though she has asked on several occasions, time sheets have always been signed off and had holiday pay etc.

 

Last week she was sent a letter on a plain bit of paper from the pool manager saying with effect from Christmas her services will no longer be required (2 weeks notice). It turns out the Head of leisure at the council has decided to cut free lance staff and train up life guards to run classes so the instructors will be just above minimum wage. - Life guards will now be responsible for lessons, life guard duties and fitness classes.

 

There are 20 - 30 people every session who are now outraged and the lovely council can't see that we will leave and not want to be taught by some guy who doesn't even want the job. We have been complaining to the council directly and pointed out she was not free lance staff, we have contacted councillors - the council reply with a standard email then have ignored all other emails. They just can't see that they will lose more money than they pay her !!!

 

They have now said the instructor can keep her job for £7.00 per hour - which does not cover her petrol, she is so upset because she loves her job, some of the older ladies have been coming for 15 years alot are over 65, the parish councillors are helping as there is not any other leisure facilities but please if you have any other ideas what we can do please let me know.

 

Thank you for your help.....

[mullethunter]

That's a tricky one. Does this help?

 

https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/work/rights-at-work/contracts-of-employment/

[soapdragon]

Sounds as though she needs to consult a solicitor. She should be able to negotiate a free consultation and the fees thereafter.Good luck to her. Keep us posted.

[HarrisonFamily]

She is in contact with a solicitor but whilst she is sorting out that side I am trying to get the council to overturn there crazy idea.....just so fed up of some guy sitting in their office cutting costs without looking at the bigger picture...especially when their wages have been in the local paper at over £100,000 with a £7000 extra payment.......I just feel so sorry for some of these older ladies who think I know what I am doing when I have no idea !!!!!

[merlina]

Just an aside...

Perhaps the lovely instructor could hire the pool for an hour or two - would the cost of the ladies' fees cover hire and her renumeration? Perhaps the council would hire at a low cost as it's a community facility.

[Plum]

How about you all pay an annual contribution for her petrol?

[Grandmashazzie]

Is there a minimum number/ratio that needs to be adhered to. I would have thought one person 'teaching' needs lifeguard observing no one gets in to difficulty. I know at our local council gym which has 3 pools ,when I go to Aqua fit even if lifeguard is at adjacent pool,our instructor won't start til our lifeguard turns up. I would think there is a safety risk esp if older class how would he cope getting help,getting person out of water etc on his own.

[dancing cloud]

Several ways to tackle this:

 

1. Ask your lovely Council (which hopefully is not the one I work for!) for a copy of their complaints policy -you may be able to find it on their website - and get everyone to send in an individual complaint about the withdrawing of the class with no notice to customers etc. Although they intend to have lifeguards teach, they are not qualified to do so and you will therefore have to treat the class as ended.

 

You can have a basic template of information, but it helps if it's not one standard form. Make much of age discrimination, sex discrimination, the government's drive to keep people healthy, the need for the elderly to socialise and anything else you can think of. In short, make them take notice!

 

2. Use outside influences - if you can get the local press interested, that really helps - politicians don't like negative press. Post on any twitter or facebook accounts the Council has. Also see if the Council has a petitions scheme (not required, but many council's do) and get a petition going to retain the class with the qualified teacher you all know and trust.

 

3. Make sure the teacher pursues the employment angle and does not just accept what has been done.

 

4. Use those parish councillors for additional pressure. Does the parish council have a website that could be used for more adverse publicity?

 

As a Council worker, I appreciate the cuts have meant hard decisions have to be made about discretionary services to fund essential services, but you don't need to just accept it on an individual level.

 

Good luck and keep us posted!

[HarrisonFamily]

Thank you so much dancing cloud for the great ideas,

 

We looked at hiring the pool but they would not be happy with us running an aquacise class when they are running one, there are no private pools with time slots available, we have been repeatedly promised a life guard but only get one on odd occasions.

 

We do have a parish councillor helping out and lots of complaints have been sent to head of leisure, as we were getting no replies I sent an essay of a complaint to his boss, a list of parish and local councillors and Tracey Couch the sports minister who is also from the local area, I am currently awaiting replies. Alot of people have also complained to the Head Of Leisure and have been included in my essay of a complaint...we are all waiting for a reply.

 

The teacher has also got the solicitor involved and they have now realised they cannot just dismiss her and get someone to take over the classes...we are waiting for the response....

 

I will keep you updated and I think the next stage is the press.....

[HarrisonFamily]

Just to update you the fight continues...

 

We are currently going through the official complaints procedure, the teacher has her solicitor involved, we have a MP and councillors trying to resolve the matter ....

 

We tried the replacement classes 1 was cancelled, 1 acceptable, 1 so bad another member of staff had to take over and it was still bad and the final one we walked out half way through as it was so boring we were freezing and then we got told off for talking !!!

 

The council just cannot see they will lose money as people will not attend !!!

[soapdragon]

Being cynical maybe that is what the council is hoping will happen - that no one will want to attend so they can cancel the class on the basis that its not economic to run

[HarrisonFamily]

Yes I am sure that the council actually not only want to cancel the class but actually close the pool but we will keep on fighting even if I will be amazed if we get anywhere....at least for now we are causing them alot of work !!!!

[soapdragon]

Good for you....keep the pressure up and keep it topical - might even be worth an e mail to one of the 'dailies'! The Mail loves a crusade! Have you thought of local radio?

[HarrisonFamily]

Well the fight has been going on for 5 months but to cut a long story short...

 

The teacher managed to find a private pool to run one of her classes - her idea being that she could make enough money from that to cover her losses for her other 3 lessons at the council pool, we did offer to pay her direct to top up her pay but she was not happy to take our money and there was a whole legal \employment issue.

 

The council found out so offered that one session she could not attend to a freelance instructor at the full amount still refusing to pay our instructor anymore...so our instructor is expected to run 3 classes for the same pay as the free lance instructor gets for one !!! I would happily lay a bet that in the next 6 months all free lance staff will be laid off again...and in the next year or 2 the pool will be closed and more houses built.

 

So next week at last she has a meeting with the trade union and the council but does not hold out much hope so our last aqua at the council pool will also be next week.

 

In the whole process I have learnt that the council lie alot, do not answer emails, calls etc, do not care about the customers at all, councillors come across as helpful but the council is prepared to lie to them as well...

 

On the plus side I have made some great friends, we have found a private pool and I have even started working as a swim teacher in my spare time for the instructor......