Boots pharmacists and pre-registration graduates who are on annual leave in mid-May could miss out on their chance to vote in the Boots ballot to derecognise the agreement with the BPA, after the Central Arbitration Committee declined a request to extend the ballot period. This leaves their colleagues facing an even more urgent need to return their completed ballot papers as soon as they are received.
Ballot papers will be issued to the c.7,000 pharmacists and pre-registration graduates no sooner than Thursday 10 May and must be received by the company managing the ballot process no later than noon on Wednesday 23 May. Effectively this gives pharmacists just days to cast their votes.
This places extra importance on those who want to secure an independent voice at work as the ballot law requires a minimum of 40% of those entitled to participate to return a vote for change if the pharmacists are to succeed in their application. This becomes an even harder target to meet if some voters are unable to participate due to their planned annual leave.
Mark Pitt, Assistant General Secretary of PDA Union, said: “The ballot is happening at a time close to bank holidays and is a prime period for annual leave. No sooner was the timetable announced than we heard from individuals concerned that they would be away during the ballot period.
We encourage every eligible employee to vote and we applied for the extension to give everyone a chance to express their view.”
After the PDA requested the timetable extension, the BPA wrote to the CAC opposing the request and the CAC decision was to decline the extension.
2,780 people must vote “YES” in the ballot for the PDA Union to proceed with efforts to be the independent voice at work for Boots pharmacists.
Pharmacists who have not received a ballot paper by 14 May are instructed to contact the CAC Case Manager, Sharmin Khan, on 0330 109 3622