Some pharmacists at LloydsPharmacy may not yet be fully aware of the positive impact that trade union recognition can bring to their working experience, so one of the PDA Union representatives at Boots has shared his experience of what this meant for him. Independent trade union recognition has been in place at Boots for just over a year.
Paul is one of the PDA Union network of representatives at Boots and explains how he became involved in the union:
“I have to be honest and say although I knew trade union members could call already on the PDA union for support if they personally encountered difficult times, I hadn’t fully appreciated what recognition would mean in practice. I care about my colleagues and so when I saw the opportunity to support my professional community, I volunteered. As one of 17 pharmacists who became union representatives, I am still amazed by what we have already achieved in just our initial year.
In summary, the profession now has an independent voice at our company. That is critical, because we are health professionals working in a retail environment caring for patients and although we all want the business to succeed, we know that sometimes the demands of the company can compromise our ability to provide a good service to patients and place our wellbeing at risk. That is the nature of our sector and the union and management can discuss and agree a fair way forward.
The PDA is the only independent trade union exclusively for pharmacists and is completely free from the control of any employer. That means we can speak freely in the interests of pharmacists. Unlike any alternative kind of employee structure, we have legal status in trade union law that provides protections from discriminations or detriment due to our activities; we also have a legal right to have time released from our normal duties to undertake our union role.
This new way of working was a change for the management and for pharmacists, but we are now working positively and effectively together to find win-win solutions to challenges that improve things for the company, the profession, and importantly for patients. I never thought any pharmacist would be sitting down with senior management to agree such matters like we do, but I’m proud to have the privilege to represent the views and needs of pharmacists”
If the population of Lloyds pharmacists get recognition for the PDA Union, a similar arrangement to that we have at Boots will need to be agreed. Click on the PDF below for some examples of what that would mean:
Paul concluded “The training and support we receive from the central PDA team has been fantastic and as well as helping colleagues, this experience has made me much more informed about pharmacy across the UK and about employment rights. I am a store manager, and the training and experience I am now receiving through my union role, is unquestionably making me a better manager too.
I know the whole PDA network at Boots send our best wishes to colleagues at Lloyds. Within each of our own companies, and across the profession, we can achieve more together. The PDA provides all of us with the ability to improve the working lives of pharmacists”
Please share this information with any other pharmacists you know who work at Lloyds Pharmacy