PDA Legal Operations Manager, Ruth Williams took participants through their rights as a locum and some common mistakes that locums make. This included not agreeing the details of the shifts undertaken, break times, and non-payment of invoices.
Prior to the event, PDA locum members told us that they were hoping to get support from other locums at the event, and find out about their rights and what to expect as a locum. 88% of attendees said that the workshop met their aims with one member, Mrs Aija Silina commenting that she liked “the welcoming and friendly approach and sharing real-life experiences, it was a good workshop”.
The workshop gave the attendees the opportunity to ask questions and to find out how to protect themselves whilst working as a locum.
Paul Flynn, PDA National Officer is coordinating the PDA Locum Task Force and is calling on locum members to volunteer to become PDA Reps and engage in training. By working together, PDA locum members can lead change for all locum pharmacists.
Paul Flynn said, “The PDA has an excellent trade union training programme for all reps including the locum members who have stepped up to the challenge ahead. I look forward to bringing the PDA Locum Task Force together to support them to prioritise their issues and build their campaigning activity. However, I also note that many issues raised by locum members such as the Pharmacy First Service, workload, wellbeing, and health and safety are the same issues faced by all pharmacists. The PDA is best placed to help locum members join pharmacists from other sectors in raising these issues with employers and their MPs as appropriate.”
PDA locum members who are interested in getting involved in the network for locum members and being included in the next ‘Locum Matters’ event should contact the PDA by emailing [email protected]. Those interested in becoming a PDA Locum Rep can learn more here.
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If you have not yet joined the PDA, we encourage you to join today and ask your colleagues to do the same.
Membership is FREE to pharmacy students, trainee pharmacists and for the first three months of being newly qualified.
Read about our key member benefits here.