Lloyds pharmacists pass first test on road to union recognition

Pharmacists at LloydsPharmacy (Lloyds) have made significant progress towards trade union recognition as the government body that oversees the process has formally accepted their application. The process now moves forward to decide which pharmacists will be included in the bargaining unit.

The Central Arbitration Committee (CAC) has formally accepted the application on behalf of pharmacists at LloydsPharmacy to secure an independent voice at work through trade union recognition of the PDA. The statutory process now proceeds to the next stage.

The first part of the test for the application was the PDA providing evidence that more than 10% of the pharmacists in the proposed bargaining unit [the group of employees for whom the union intend to negotiate] are in union membership.

This was assessed by the CAC undertaking an independent and strictly confidential membership check, comparing a list of employed Lloyds pharmacists against a list of union members who said they worked at Lloyds.

Mark Pitt, Assistant General Secretary of PDA Union said:

“Lloyds pharmacists tell us they want an independent voice at work, not just for support through the current changes, but to negotiate for better pay and conditions as well as ensuring safe and healthy workplaces.

“Lloyds management now has another opportunity to reach a voluntary agreement and we hope they will do that and accept our invitation to work positively together as they have previously told us they would like to do.”

The union will shortly be writing out to every eligible Lloyds pharmacist and pre-registration pharmacist with details of the benefits a recognition agreement will bring and how to become involved in the representative network.