In response to calls from pharmacists at LloydsPharmacy (Lloyds), the Pharmacist Defence Association Union (PDAU) has applied to the government’s Central Arbitration Committee for trade union recognition at the second-largest community pharmacy employer in the UK.
The PDAU has said that this is especially important at this time because the company have announced plans to make job losses and changes to employment contracts.
Commenting on the move the PDAU said the following:
“In the legal process, such a formal application must be preceded by an initial letter to the company asking for recognition and this was submitted at the beginning of February 2020. The letter followed an earlier series of discussions between the company and the union about the possibility of recognition.
“PDA Union has been inundated with contacts from concerned pharmacists at Lloyds after the company announced last week that it will shortly commence discussing the possibility of redundancies and contractual change. Pharmacists at Lloyds now want a similar agreement to that secured by Boots pharmacists in 2019.
“In fact, it was exactly one year after pharmacists at Boots concluded their 8-year fight to secure an independent voice at work that the PDAU application for recognition for Lloyds was submitted. After the recognition deal was signed at Boots, pharmacists immediately secured a say in negotiations about their pay and a collective voice on changes at work for the first time. Pharmacists at Boots have been trained and empowered to act on behalf of their colleagues and now negotiate and consult with senior management, all with the support of their union’s resources and expertise, plus benefitting from the legal rights and protections associated with being accredited trade union representatives.
“During the Boots recognition campaign, pharmacists from across the profession registered their support for colleagues at Boots. Now the PDAU are calling on the whole profession to stand behind colleagues at Lloyds so that they too can get the voice at work which pharmacists deserve as qualified health professionals. Please watch out for further communication on how you can help Lloyds pharmacists secure recognition with their employer.”
The company now has until 17th July to respond to the application. The PDAU has asked that pharmacists make sure their contact details are correct so that they can contact the appropriate pharmacists as the process progresses. If you are one of these pharmacists you can update your details here.