Pharmacists’ union and Boots clash over bargaining unit


The independent PDA pharmacists’ union has had a formal application for recognition at Boots accepted by the Central Arbitration Committee (CAC), which runs the statutory process. 


The long saga of the PDA’s recognition campaign came to a climax earlier in the summer when the company’s pharmacists voted overwhelmingly to have the non-independent Boots Pharmacists’ Association derecognised. This was a pre-requisite to obtaining recognition for the PDA.


The PDA then had talks with senior management about voluntary recognition, but they ended without agreement. The blockage was a disagreement over the management’s insistence on excluding more than 300 pharmacists from the bargaining unit. 


The union wanted to keep the unit the same as had been agreed by the CAC for participating in the derecognition ballot. 


The PDA said it “would not agree to removing any of the population who so overwhelmingly voted to secure an independent voice at work, and believe all those individuals should be included in any future agreement”.


If the two sides can’t agree on the unit, the CAC will have to rule on the issue.


The PDA noted that this was the first time that a union had entered the statutory recognition process having already “won” a ballot of the employees.


Meanwhile, the union has donated £3,308 to Macmillan Cancer support after promising to give £1 to charity for each Boots pharmacist and pre-registration graduate who voted in the derecognition ballot.

https://www.the-pda.org/independent-voice-at-work-another-step-closer-for-pharmacists-at-boots