I hope somebody can help me with some advice. I have been working a '4 on 4 off' continental shift pattern for the past 3 years, this averages out at 42 hours per week. Now my company have said my contract actually states that I should be doing a 48 hour week and want me to change my rota to accomadate this for no extra pay. My arguement is that I have been working to the rota they gave me for the past 3 years and nobody has ever said I should be doing more hours, infact if I did any extra shifts I was getting paid for them. There is another 5 people in the same position of me and we are all of the opinion that custom of practice must come into play here. We are willing to change to a 48 hour week but feel we should be paid for the extra hours.