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A recent Pharmacists' Defence Association (PDA) survey revealed that 80 per cent of its member working in the NHS in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland rejected the NHS pay award. "For the first time in the history of our union, members have told us they are so angry that they would not rule out industrial action in conjunction with other NHS unions," said Paul Moloney, PDA Union national officer. "It is important that, whoever is to lead the government, they listen to this message and act now to ensure our members and others in the NHS do not face swinging cuts to their standard of living." PDA members were asked whether they would support industrial action if they had rejected the award and if other NHS unions would be taking industrial action. 58 per cent of those responding said they would support the PDA Union taking industrial action if members of other unions were also planning to take action on this issue. For now, however, the PDA Union will wait for other unions to publish the outcomes of their own consultations. As a union dedicated to representing the needs of only pharmacists, the PDA has been able to quickly survey members immediately after the pay award was announced.

The Pharmacists' Defence Association (PDA) Union says it will be reaching out to LloydsPharmacy soon over a better deal on salary increase after the majority of its members rejected a three per cent offer made by the company recently. Paul Day, director, PDA Union told Pharmacy Business: "The PDA Union will communicate the response of employed pharmacists to the company and seek further discussion to try and find an offer that will be acceptable to union members. "Both management and union representatives have a vested interest in working to find such a solution and that is the outcome we hope to achieve." After months of negotiation by the PDA Union, the company offered a three per cent increase in salaries from the 1.8 per cent in the earlier offer made by the company. "Through negotiation over last few months that was increased to 3.0 per cent, plus a long term incentive plan (LTIP). Though the LTIP potentially offers large bonuses, it isn't guaranteed. Therefore what we put to members was the confirmed offer of three per cent increase in salaries," said Paul.

The Pharmacists' Defence Association (PDA) has reiterated its call for all pharmacists working at Boots to join the PDA Union to support the collective voice of the profession within the company. It said this would enable PDA to send direct communications to pharmacists working at Boots and keep them up to date with key matters impacting their work life. Currently, the association uses the company communication channels to cascade key information to the non-member pharmacists, however, it fears such measures can be disrupted by management. Besides, having more member pharmacists at Boots would strengthen their "negotiating power", PDA said.

The Pharmacists Defence Association (PDA) has expressed its interest to support pharmacists impacted with the latest announcement of the closure of Tesco pharmacies. "Tesco have followed ASDA and LloydsPharmacy (at Sainsbury's) to announce cost cutting changes to their stores, impacting hundreds of jobs," the association said. The PDA's interests in the announcement relate to the planned closure of eight in-store Tesco pharmacies and the impact of those closures upon pharmacists, however the union is of course concerned for all those impacted. The PDA Union will support individual PDA members impacted by the decision so that they are aware of, and can exercise, their rights at work in relation to this situation. Paul Day, PDA Union Director said, "In addition to the immediate impact on pharmacists employed at the stores marked for closure, this is the third instance in just twelve days of reductions in the overall access to a pharmacy for NHS patients. We expect those who represent communities to be concerned about the loss of a key part of their local NHS service."

Fife-based trainee pharmacist and Honorary Secretary of the PDA LGBT+ Network, Soh Xi Ken has won the Scottish Trades Union Congress' (STUC) Equality Award. One of Scotland's leading LGBT+ campaigners and Honorary Secretary of the PDA's LGBT+ Network has been recognised for his advocacy work for LGBT+ pharmacists in Scotland. Soh Xi Ken of the PDA received the Equality Award at the STUC Annual Congress in April 2023 in Dundee. The award praised Xi Ken's tireless advocacy for LGBT+ workers within pharmacies in Scotland, highlighting his personal experience of homophobia in Scotland and his home country, Malaysia. In May 2021, Xi Ken became a founding member of the PDA LGBT+ Network's committee and was elected as their first Honorary Secretary. The PDA LGBT+ Network is the first of its kind in the pharmacy world and has made a significant difference to the profile of LGBT+ people in the profession. Xi Ken and others within the PDA LGBT+ Network spotted that there was a lack of LGBT+-specific guidance given to pharmacy students and that their unique and specific health needs were not being addressed as part of the pharmacy education that they received.

The Pharmacists' Defence Association (PDA) has announced that it will support its member impacted by the decision to close 300 more Boots pharmacies. After the announcement of closure of 300 Boots pharmacies over the next year, the association believes this is approximately one out of every eight current Boots pharmacy locations. The company has insisted that the objective of this exercise is not to make existing pharmacist employees redundant, and they hope to be able to redeploy individuals into nearby alternative locations. However, PDA believes that it is unlikely that suitable alternative roles will be available for all and redundancy is a possibility for some. The PDA Union will provide pharmacists with information, support, and representation as part of the recognition agreement so that members are aware of and can exercise their rights at work. PDA officials will be in continued dialogue with the company throughout this closure programme.

Boots pharmacists will receive a pay rise of 4.5 per cent as the pharmacy multiple and PDA Union jointly announce this year's pay settlement. Following discussions between Boots management services and the PDA Union negotiators, the agreement was reached in relation to this year's pay claim, effective from 1 November 2022. The union also announced that those who have already had a pay increase on or since 1 August 2022, where that increase has been less than 4.5 per cent, a 'top up' increase will be provided, from 1 November 2022, to ensure that all eligible members of the bargaining unit receive a pay increment of not less than 4.5 per cent in 2022. Boots and the PDA Union have agreed an increase to the pay of those above the maximum market range by 4 per cent with an additional 0.5 per cent non-consolidated payment.

The Pharmacists' Defence Association (PDA) has undertaken an additional survey of pharmacists employed in the NHS, before deciding to hold their first-ever ballot for industrial action. The PDA has more than 7,000 NHS-employed pharmacists in membership and the union is actively considering balloting those members regarding strike action. The association said: "The experience of some other unions has shown that the government's restrictive rules, designed to make it difficult for working people to lawfully take industrial action, means trade unions should test members' strength of feeling before balloting." "Trade unions are not only forced to rely upon postal ballots, but for lawful industrial action to be taken, the result must also meet three tests- at least 50% of eligible voters must vote; at least 40% of eligible voters must vote 'yes' and a majority of votes must be for 'yes'." The association is asking members in England, Northern Ireland and, Wales to show if their collective wish, insignificant enough strength, is for strike action. PDA has emailed the survey to all its members in the NHS in the three nations and will close on Tuesday 3 January.

Pharmacists delivering to the Scottish prison service have been notified by their employer LloydsPharmacy that they may be transferred to another employer or even be at risk of redundancy. The Pharmacists Defence Association said: "It is supporting pharmacists employed by LloydsPharmacy who have been advised that the company has not retendered for the contract to provide pharmacy services to the Scottish prison service. As a result of LloydsPharmacy exiting the contract, those pharmacists may transfer to whichever employer takes over the service, or if their function does not transfer to a new employer they will be at risk of redundancy." The PDA Union will be representing these individuals to ensure they understand and can exercise their rights at work to either continue their current role under a new employer, transfer to a suitable alternative role, or leave with the appropriate redundancy compensation. PDA members impacted by this change can contact the PDA Service Centre for advice.

Members of the Pharmacists' Defence Association (PDA) who have benefits in the Boots Pension Scheme have sought support from their union following the recent communications from the trustees about the removal of the option to retire at 60 without a reduced pension. The company claimed that retirement between 60-65 years old without a reduced pension was a discretionary benefit, and it has ended with the buy-in deal with Legal and General. However, PDA members believe there is insufficient evidence to fully support this claim, and therefore they are questioning whether this option should have been secured as part of the buy in and not ended with immediate effect. PDA Union national officer, Paul Moloney said: "Instead, we believe benefit statements issued to members, at the very least are contradictory, and clearly state that a full pension will be payable from a member's 60th birthday, with no reference to this benefit being discretionary and therefore subject to a regular review by the trustees. Instead, the benefit statements give the impression that an unreduced pension from 60 is a right with no indication that retirement plans should not be based on the benefit statements."

Trainee pharmacists at Boots in England and Northern Ireland will get a pay increase from 1st August. The new pay rates agreed between the Pharmacists' Defence Association (PDA) Union and Boots was announced on Tuesday (4 July). The joint statement released by Boots and PDA Union said: "Following discussions, we are pleased to announce that there will be a pay increase for Trainee Pharmacists, in England and Northern Ireland, commencing in role this summer." Trainee Pharmacists working in Boots Pharmacies in Wales are employed directly by the NHS and are therefore outside the scope of the pay negotiations between Boots and the PDA Union. Funding for each Boots Trainee Pharmacist in Scotland is at a higher level and Boots continues to pass on the fully funded amount as salary to those team members

After a series of internal pay negotiations and conciliation meetings, Boots has made a revised pay offer to its pharmacists. With the new development, the Pharmacists' Defence Association (PDA) has urged its members at Boots to "urgently respond to the Boots pay negotiations update survey on the current pay offer." It encouraged the members to complete the short survey sent to them via email. Last week, the PDA Reps Network in Boots hosted a series of virtual meetings for members that work at the company. As the element of the negotiations with Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service (ACAS) are ongoing, PDA could not provide more details about these meetings.

The Pharmacists' Defence Association (PDA) has raised concerns over "a prominent pharmacist's call to create a sector 'blacklist' for locums regarding disputes over rates." A few contractors took it to the Twitter to share screenshots of the messages by locums demanding more pay, which led to the call for 'blacklisting' those locums. "The motivation regarding the current talk of creating a blacklist seems intrinsically tied to hourly rates. Although there are occasional and isolated anecdotal reports on social media of alleged incidents of locums seeking higher rates than already agreed, these are far outstripped by reports of pharmacy businesses unwilling to negotiate and who do not want to pay the necessary rate to engage a locum and instead have set capped or fixed rates," said the PDA. It added that all parties should honour agreements they enter into, including a pharmacy's commitment to the NHS that it will open at set times to provide pharmaceutical services to patients and the public.

The Pharmacists' Defence Association (PDA) has welcomed the government's defeat in the House of Lords on the Strikes (Minimum Service Levels) Bill. It believes that the proposed Bill, if enacted, would allow the government to dictate minimum levels of service during times of industrial action, enabling employers to name specific employees that they require in work. Those employees could then face losing their jobs if they failed to turn up to work on that day. Trade unions could also be fined if they did not force those named individuals to go to work. PDA director, Paul Day said, "This Bill should be of real concern to pharmacists and other health professionals. The idea of their employer being able to effectively conscript them to work or face the sack does not feel like a positive employment relations environment." The House of Lords has voted for key amendments to the Bill to prevent unions from being required to force workers to comply. This also prevents workers from being forced to work or face the sack and allows for greater consultation and Parliamentary scrutiny on the proposals which the Westminster government is trying to implement. The House of Commons will now be required to vote on the amendments over the next few weeks. Whilst the House of Lords amendments are likely to be defeated, it shows the degree of opposition there is to this Bill.

Violent and abusive behaviour against pharmacists is impacting on recruitment and retention of staff in the sector, according to the Pharmacists' Defence Association (PDA). The trade union for pharmacists told BBC Breakfast TV on Wednesday (May 8) that its members have continuously raised workplace safety concerns due to an alarming rise in the incidents of abuse and violence against pharmacy staff. The PDA union has been calling for adequate risk assessments and preventative safety measures to be put in place in pharmacies whist adopting a zero-tolerance approach to violence and abuse. With several significant and worrying incidents involving PDA members, including a pharmacist being threatened with a knife recently, further research was conducted in April 2022 to establish the extent and impact of such behaviour on pharmacists. Forty-four per cent of the respondents in the survey reported that they or someone that they worked with had experienced physical or violent abuse in the last month.

In response to Thursday (5 January)'s announcement on the proposal of new 'anti-strike' legislation, the Pharmacists Defence Association (PDA) has said that it will work with other trade unions to defend the fundamental right for workers in the sector to strike. The association believes that "industrial action should always be a last resort, especially for health professionals such as pharmacists, however having the option to strike is a fundamental right for working people in a fair and free, civilised society." "The right to strike is a fundamental right through which employees can act collectively to secure and protect pay and conditions." It added: "The Trade Union Congress (TUC) are coordinating the challenge to these proposals." The TUC said in a statement: "The Prime Minister should concentrate on fixing our public services, not attacking public sector staff. The proposed legislation would make it harder for disputes to be resolved."

The Pharmacists' Defence Association (PDA) has welcomed the Westminster government's move to backtracked from their plan to remove a large number of rights and standards and is having to overhaul the Retained EU Law Bill. This had included a number of employment rights, including TUPE transfers and the Working Time Directive, which had been established in the UK from EU law. The Bill's 'sunset clause' was originally going to automatically repeal any EU law not enshrined in UK law by the end of 2023. Critics of the Bill were concerned that this gave the government powers to reform or remove laws without normal Parliamentary scrutiny. "This would have abolished many improvements to workers' rights which were enacted through the EU legislature," said PDA.

The Pharmacists' Defence Association (PDA) has reacted to the chief pharmaceutical officer (CPhO) for Wales's offer for community pharmacy contractors, offering a funding uplift for community pharmacy on the condition of an increase in pay for some staff by at least the amount currently being imposed upon NHS employees. The PDA has expressed a mixed reaction to the intervention being attempted by the Welsh government. "It is unusual for a government to be so closely involved in the pay of their suppliers' employees and those at some community pharmacy employers have a contractual right to a pay review at times of year that may not synchronize with the government's financial cycle, so this initiative may have different impacts at different employers," said the association. "In addition, the PDA negotiates pay at the largest two community pharmacy employers and works alongside other trade unions that organise other pharmacy workers. This government intervention must not disrupt or attempt to bypass those processes."

The Pharmacists' Defence Association (PDA) has called for a mandatory training for those who wish to sign fit notes. The union said it will be seeking urgent clarification around the rollout of guidance and timescales of when this will be available to PDA members working in primary care and hospitals, who will be at the forefront of the implementation. "As with any activity, regulated health professionals will be expected to ensure they have received adequate training and guidance before taking on new elements of practice and to ensure they are acting within the limits of their professional competency," said the association. It also highlighted that completing a fit note may have an impact on the income received by the patient and therefore the consequences of supplying the document could mean a direct financial consequence for them, such as eligibility for sick pay or insurance claims, as well as a health outcome. The PDA expects the mandatory training to cover any factors which will need to be considered in this regard so that pharmacists understand any limitations on when, how, and for who they might complete the fit notes.

The Pharmacists' Defence Association (PDA) Union has reached a deal for its members working at Boots, covering 6,000 pharmacists employed by the British retailer and pharmacy chain. As per the agreement, union members working at the multiple will receive a 2 per cent pay rise effective from November 1, 2021, the two entities said in a joint statement. The settlement, reached under the guidance of Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service (ACAS), covers provisionally registered pharmacists, pharmacists and pharmacist store managers in the bargaining unit for which the PDAU is recognised. There will be improved benefits for those at the beginning of their careers as "all pharmacists qualifying in 2021 will be paid at least £38k gross FTE, including those who would otherwise be ineligible due to the 1st August cut-off."