Health Issues

[stevie1958]

Well firstly i would like to say hi! i have just found this forum,

I work for a very large national company, i work on the railway ( on trains),well about 2 years ago we got a new fleet of trains about 4 months after that i started with with acute sinus problems this has resulted in a condition now known to me as inverted papilloma this is basically a in growing tuor in the sinus,i have now had 3 operations in the last 18 months,every tiome i have it removed about 4 months later it returns,i have put it down to the very powefull air conditioning i think it is drying up my sinus and causing this problem,during my last operation it was found to be partly behind my eye and i had to have the tear ducts removed from my eye,this cause exsessive watering of one eye as soon as i walk outside it starts,

The railway use bupa for work welfare,i was sent to bupa and the doctor advised my employer to remove me from my normal job and place me in a job inside out of the weather and this would be re-assesed in 4 months when the weather is milder,my manager has removed me from my normal duties,he said he will place me in a job outside on a platform untill further notice,this will cause me major problems,

I think my company want rid of me and are just making things difficult so i will resign,as if they get rid of me they would have to pay me 12 months salary (company regulation),i have applied for other internal positions in booking offices but never even got a reply,when i contacted HR they said if i hav'nt got a letter then just presume you hav'nt got the job,any advice hear would be great.

[godpikachu]

so, the doctor recommended that you be placed in an inside job but yet your bosses decide instead to stick you out in the cold?.

 

have they even attempted to follow your doctors advice and find you a job on the iside?, or did they just plonk you straight out?.

 

 

i personally would be inclined to write a letter to them stating that the doctors reccommendation was as such, and you cannot understand why you have been placed in a potentially harmful situation, which will be even more detrimental to your health.

 

your employer has a duty of care towards you, and as such if they are wilfully placing you in a situation which will be detrminatal to your health you could have the right to claim compensation for lost earnings, medical expenses etc

[stevie1958]

Hi, thank you for your reply:

well firstly i would like to add my own job is a safety critical job,if you have any problen at all with your eyes you can not do your job,we are not even allowed to have eye lazer surgery,after i had my company medical by bupa i phoned my manager to inform him what the doctor said,my manager said its ok just take it steady (in the meantime i had been doing my normal job). 2 1/2 weeks later my manager phoned me to say i was now off my job,scince then i have been attending work and litterly doing nothing but sitting in the mess room i was told to do this by my manager as most senior managers are on xmas leave,but one of my senior managers phoned me to state what my new job would be,also as trains run 7 days a week staff also do,now as train crew we get aditional payments for sundays even though we are rosterd them this could be up to 175.00 per sunday,i have now been told from now on i will work mon-fri ie not allowed to work sundays,so i now also stand to lose a lot of money.

[godpikachu]

im not 100% clear on this, but as far as i am aware they cant make you take a cut in wages unless they plan on issuing you with a new employment contract to reflect your new duties.

 

elche will probably know better than me so we will wait and see if he comes on to help you better.

[68904]

I was on a similar position with my employer, I was off for 8 months with a bad back at L4/5,. This meant I counld hardly walk.

I was sent to BUPA 2 times, the first time, the Doc said come back in 8 weeks.

The second time my condtion was a lot better, and went back to work on light duties.

I also was traincrew and safety critical, and all I did was sit in the mess room and kept out of the way.

With regard to pay, we were restructured in 2000, where all the allowances were put into one wage, with a hours of between 35 and 48 hrs.

If you were of sick, your pay went to 35hrs a week, and sat in the mess room, or went on an engines road learning.

When you resumed, and your roster was 48hrs PW, you went back onto that rate of pay.

I managed to spin the light duties out for 3 months, and did a bit of taxi work, eg ferrrying drivers up and down for jobs.

It would appear that in your DRI agreements if you are a driver or groundstaff those on long term sick go onto the 35 hr week till they go back to work.

If you an ASLEF person see you local LDC. If you are RMT do the same.

As for your illness, have yourself a personal risk assessment done on what you think caused the problems on the train.

Management have to provide you with a safe working environment, clearly if these new unit make you ill, there is a H and S Risk attached working these trains.

If you are the driver/guard switch the offending units off, for the time you are on the units.

I have done this many times when working old DMU's as the heaters on them were crap.

[stevie1958]

Hi, 68904,thanks for your reply, i am a guard,sundays are still outside the working week,i am in the RMT my local rep gave me this advice "tough",when i spoke to one of the north eastern (very militant) rep he gave me this advice " keep a note of all your sunday jobs times etc " and he said he will fight to get it all back,our local reps are so far up management back sides its unbelievable,as for the air con on the trains i have been told i can not turn it off as their is no opening windowes to allow fresh air in the trains,as far as i am aware of no risk assesment has taken place for the air conditioning i was told its serviced within the statuary service scedule,as for the problem i know have with my eye bupa state i should work inside management say they are going to put me outside on a ticket barrier,so if it makes it worse i will just go home off the job,i will keep you posted as to what happens,stevie.

[68904]

Why not speak to Allen Heath District Officer at York office of the RMT, the number will be in your diary, and discuss things with him.

I was a guard for 27 years, and if I am on the train I am in charge, and if I want the heating on its on if I want to turn the AC/s of its my train, and I have on what I want.

As a I have said, play these people at thier own game, I have known folk go on the barrier for 30 years, you will find that they are that short of staff you will work every restday and Sunday going.

I found that I worked 35 hrs a week, and that is all I wanted, your health is vital to you and do not make the situation worse as when you leave this planet you are not getting a return working.

Give the ticket collecting a go and always remember if you go off sick you are playing right into managements arms.

Keep me informed as I can put you in touch with some of my old RMT mates who can tell you what to do from A to Z

[stevie1958]

Why not speak to Allen Heath District Officer at York office of the RMT, the number will be in your diary, and discuss things with him.

I was a guard for 27 years, and if I am on the train I am in charge, and if I want the heating on its on if I want to turn the AC/s of its my train, and I have on what I want.

As a I have said, play these people at thier own game, I have known folk go on the barrier for 30 years, you will find that they are that short of staff you will work every restday and Sunday going.

I found that I worked 35 hrs a week, and that is all I wanted, your health is vital to you and do not make the situation worse as when you leave this planet you are not getting a return working.

Give the ticket collecting a go and always remember if you go off sick you are playing right into managements arms.

Keep me informed as I can put you in touch with some of my old RMT mates who can tell you what to do from A to Z

 

Hi, well thank you so much for your very valuable advice,to morow i am sitting in the messroom all day,but my senior manager is back off xmas leave so i should find out just exactly what will be happening,i will also call MR heath,i will keep you posted as to whats happening,

[68904]

I am assuming you work on th ECML, but thats all GNER, can you give me some idea where you are based in the Country.

 

I also was a Company Council Rep, LDC Rep. H and S Rep since 1995.

Send me a private message to keep things confidential .

 

In the case of AirCons, there have been serious prblems with a/c units wher people have caught Legionares Disease, which can be fatal,

Do not do anything rash go ticket collecting, and you might find out that its better than rodding up and down dealing with trains that are full up to the whistle with pw slacks stopping you getting home etc.

At least on the Platform you sign on at 0600 have your meal break stood still and go home at 1400hrs.

[stevie1958]

I am assuming you work on th ECML, but thats all GNER, can you give me some idea where you are based in the Country.

 

I also was a Company Council Rep, LDC Rep. H and S Rep since 1995.

Send me a private message to keep things confidential .

 

In the case of AirCons, there have been serious prblems with a/c units wher people have caught Legionares Disease, which can be fatal,

Do not do anything rash go ticket collecting, and you might find out that its better than rodding up and down dealing with trains that are full up to the whistle with pw slacks stopping you getting home etc.

At least on the Platform you sign on at 0600 have your meal break stood still and go home at 1400hrs.

 

sending P.M.