Returning to work, reducing hours, holidays.... etc

[sugar_puff]

Right i'll try and keep this as short and simple as possible but please bear with me!!

Before going on maternity leave i was working full time (38 hour) getting paid roughly £9 per hour. I took 3 weeks holiday before starting mat leave (but some dippy cow at work only put through 2 weeks and paid me as though i was at work for the 3rd week)

Decided that i wanted to just go back part time after the 39 weeks mat leave but can't do same job so have taken a pay cut and am now going back 20 hours a week at £6.50 per hour. I went in to see manager in November and agreed mat leave would end on 21st Jan then i would take my remaining 5 weeks holiday (i get 7 weeks a year) before starting back at work on 26th Feb. She agreed that for those 5 weeks she would pay me 38 hours a week at £9 per hour as thats the rate that i accrued the holiday at.

So everythings fine, my maternity leave ends and holiday starts and theres me thinking i'm being paid 38 hours a week for 5 weeks.... Fast forward to last Thursday (9th Feb) and i get a new contract in the post saying that my hours and rate of pay have been cut as of 29th Jan... Not what we agreed!!

So not only am i serverly pissed off with her because she didn't even have the decency to let me know but she keeps fobbing me off with 'but payrol said i had to do that'. And I'm now losing out on about £900

So my question is.... (finally!!)... can they do this? Or am i right in thinking that i'm entitled to take the holiday at the higher rate of pay as thats the rate i accrued it at?

I've phoned the union but am still waiting for the rep to get back to me so just wondering if anyone here knows???

 

[ArcaneSpark]

Your entitled to it at the rate it was accrued at ie if it's from before/during maternity leave it would be your old rate. If its you've come back and taking your holiday entitlement in advance it would be at the new rate.

Hope this helps and your union gets back to you promptly as they will know how your company works definitely.

 

[sugar_puff]

Thanks, thats what i thought to but my manager is having none of it! Yeah its holiday that i accrued whilst on mat leave. Hopefully union will be able to help me word it better so i dont end up telling her what i'm really thinking!!