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Concerns over physical safety of Boots Pharmacists as security reduced.

Pharmacists at Boots midnight stores are raising concerns at work after local management have decided to reduce the level of security cover in some stores. The winter season brings darker evenings and increased numbers of shoppers and potentially increased numbers of shoplifters.

Fri 28th December 2018 PDA Union

The PDA Union are encouraging any of their members, working in any pharmacy, who may have concerns on the issue of their physical safety to contact us for help.

The PDA are passionate about safety at work and are already making a difference to improve conditions in pharmacies.   Over recent months on the topic of physical safety the union has:

In community pharmacy patients and customers may be unwell or under the influence of alcohol or drugs and as those of us who have worked in the sector know, situations can quickly deteriorate. We also know from the results of the “Freedom From Fear” Survey undertaken by our fellow Trades Union, USDAW, that in retail premises in general over the past year over two-thirds of shopworkers were verbally abused, 42% were threatened and around 265 were assaulted every day. These are significant increases on last year’s survey with abuse and assaults up by 25% and threats increased by 38%.   So community pharmacy employers need to take this very seriously.

Mark Pitt, Assistant General Secretary at PDA Union: “As a trades union, protecting the mental and physical health of our members at work is a core part of what we do. This is exactly the sort of issue we could work together with Boots management to fix, if pharmacists vote “YES” to a PDA Union recognition agreement.

Pharmacists at Boots can help secure a greater focus on their personal safety by voting in the forthcoming ballot in February and once recognised we will be appointing trained trade union safety representatives and raising this and any other safety concerns which pharmacists have about their workplace.”

The ballot period at Boots is scheduled to start on 4th February 2019 and will run for five weeks.  Approximately 7,000 Pharmacists and pre-registration pharmacists at grade 5, 6 & 7 in stores will be entitled to vote and if 40% or more vote for PDA Union to be recognised the senior management will have to agree a recognition agreement.  Boots is the first employer which the PDA Union are taking through the legal process to secure recognition, but our aim is to secure recognition wherever their members work.

The Pharmacists' Defence Association is a company limited by guarantee. Registered in England; Company No 4746656.

The Pharmacists' Defence Association is an appointed representative in respect of insurance mediation activities only of
The Pharmacy Insurance Agency Limited which is registered in England and Wales under company number 2591975
and is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (Register No 307063)

The PDA Union is recognised by the Certification Officer as an independent trade union.

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