Trade union National Executive Committee (NEC) elections are run in strict accordance with legislation, including the appointment of an approved independent scrutineer. In the first stage of the 2023 elections, PDA Union members have nominated candidates for the ten voting seats on the pharmacists’ union NEC.
Where just one valid nomination was received by the independent scrutineer, then that position will be uncontested, and that nominee will be elected without a ballot. Where more than one valid nomination was received that seat will be subject to a postal ballot of relevant members.
Despite it being more cost effective, better for the environment and likely to generate a higher turnout, under current legislation trade unions are prohibited from using electronic voting for this process and may only use postal voting. This is a concern which the PDA continue to raise with the trade union regulator.
Amongst the uncontested nominations, Mark Pitt will become the PDA’s second General Secretary, after John Murphy did not seek a fourth term of office, and Anjlee Shah will be the first Assistant General Secretary (Equality, Diversity and Inclusion) after a new role was created to ensure the governing body has a member focussed on the essential issue of equality.
Current PDA Union General Secretary, John Murphy, said, “I’d like to thank all the nominees for seats on the National Executive Committee for stepping forward to take on these important roles on behalf of pharmacists. When I, and the rest of the current NEC, hand over our responsibility at the end of March, there will be five new NEC members and greater diversity on the committee. I welcome these developments. Until then, the existing NEC will continue to steer the union through extremely challenging times for pharmacists across the profession.”
Nominees for the National Executive Committee 2023 – 28:
General Secretary
Mark Pitt (Qualified as a pharmacist in 1983)
Assistant General Secretary (Strategic)
Mark Koziol (Qualified in 1984)
Assistant General Secretary (Tactical)
Balraj Rai (Qualified in 2014)
Assistant General Secretary (Administration & Membership)
Tasnim Khan (Qualified in 2021)
Assistant General Secretary (Equality, Diversity & Inclusion)
Anjlee Shah (Qualified in 2013)
Treasurer
Alisdair Jones (Qualified in 2014)
Scotland & Northern Ireland Region representative
Gordon Finlayson (Qualified in 1989)
North Region representative
Jayesh Ladva (Qualified in 2013)
South-East Region representative
Abimbola Musa (Qualified in 2012)
Wales & West England Region representative
A vote of members will determine who is elected for this seat. Members from the Wales and West England region, who were already in membership on 1 December 2022, will be eligible to vote and will be sent postal ballots and details of the candidates in February.
Mr Murphy added: “I encourage all eligible members in the Wales and West England region, to vote in their ballot and return their postal vote before the deadline”
Student & Trainee Pharmacist representative
The NEC also includes a non-voting member representing student and trainee pharmacists, and Scott Rutherford will continue to hold that seat on the committee.
Scott Rutherford (Trainee Pharmacist)
The term of office for those elected will be from 1 April 2023 until 31 March 2028 and the formal statement from the independent scrutineer confirming all the results will be released once the postal ballot for the Wales and West England seat is concluded.
Not yet a PDA member?
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.