Category B - Review of Hours of Work. Minor changes to start and finish times may be made following consultation. In this context “minor change” means a change of not more than 1 hour. Where it is proposed to change a roster pattern (for example, from a 4/4 to a 4/2 pattern) or introduce a new roster pattern (including introduction or reduction/ removal of hours attracting penal payments), a local group comprising management and union representatives will be formed with the objective of reaching agreement on the proposal. Any such change will be subject to a formal variation of this Collective Agreement, but no party may withhold its agreement unreasonably to a proposed change. The first priority is to make genuine endeavours to implement change by mutual agreement through the process described above. However, where there are genuine and urgent operational or commercial reasons requiring an urgent change to rostered days or hours, which reasonably could not have been foreseen, MPI may introduce a change to existing roster days or hours for one month at a time (reviewable, should the solution take longer to establish) to enable the parties to constructively engage on the longer term solution to the issue. MPI will make a genuine effort to work with individuals to minimise the effect that changes to work schedules have on their lifestyle (e.g. in the context of child care). This may involve a delay of the application of the changes to the individual, consideration of a transfer to another part of the business and other appropriate steps, as long as the effect of this is not unreasonable in the context of business requirements.
