The Rowlands annual pay review takes effect on 1 April and the new arrangements for 2021 have been communicated just a week before that effective date.
The PDA has seen a written communication dated 25 March in which the company say they are “delighted” to announce their new pay arrangements. Amongst other changes, it is understood that the company have graded their individual branches, setting pharmacist salary ranges for each class of store. This means that different salary maximums now apply in each class of branch.
Employers are only able to unilaterally decide pay arrangements where there is no independent trade union recognised. The PDA encourage all those employed at any multiple that takes the above approach to join the PDA without delay. Once the PDA Union has sufficient members supporting trade union recognition, an application can be made on behalf of employed pharmacists at the company. Such recognition processes have already been successfully completed by pharmacists at the largest two community pharmacy employers in the UK.
Once recognition is secured, pharmacists at that employer who volunteer to become union representatives can be trained to negotiate the pay on behalf of their peers and with support of the PDA Union’s central team. Three pay settlements have been secured at Boots since recognition began in 2019 and the first pay negotiations at LloydsPharmacy commence later this year for a 2022 implementation.
In the meantime, individual PDA members concerned about changes to their contract or other conditions at work should contact the PDA Service Centre.
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