The PDA Union uses the Transfer of Undertakings and Protection of Employment (TUPE) legislation to ensure that new employers honor the previous Boots arrangements to negotiate on a pay review in November 2020. The union’s strategy also brought forward members’ next increase to be effective from April 2021 to align them with the annual NHS pay round.
Paul Moloney, the PDA Union National Officer with responsibility for these negotiations explains, “Although the final agreements differed in each case, we were able to achieve the twin objectives set by members, to ensure increases were higher than inflation and to bring members in line with the April pay date for the NHS going forward.”
This was achieved in different ways, for example, in one company members received a two-stage increase in pay covering the period November 2020 to April 2022 amounting to 3.25% plus a one-off lump sum of 3% payable in April of this year. In other cases, there were increases in salary or lump-sum payments to cover the period from November 2020 to April 2021 with a commitment to match the NHS pay award from April.
Paul Moloney continued, “Unfortunately those deals that were linked to the NHS pay increase were delayed, simply because the NHS deal was delayed by Government. However, the final stage of these agreements are now being made and fully backdated to April, as is the case for all NHS employees.
When measured against the inflation levels of last November and April this year these deals clearly exceed price increases, although we are of course mindful that inflation is rising quickly, and this will be taken fully into account in the claims for improvements we will be submitting in advance of the pay talks due to start early in the new year.“
The PDA Union is also mindful that members who have transferred to the NHS have seen significantly better increases than if they had stayed employed by Boots. This, coupled with the fact that the PDA Union was able to ensure members would receive their Boots bonus paid last year, despite the transfer of employment, has underlined the importance of being a PDA Union member.
Paul Moloney finally added, “We have developed a good working relationship with each of these new employers and intend to develop this further in the next pay round. Any pharmacist employed by these companies are entitled to join the PDA Union, not just those who were previously employed by Boots.”
Related links
- PDA Union secures sick pay victory for Boots members transferring to Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust (RM Medicines)
- Pay negotiations for former Boots pharmacists shows continuing benefit of PDA Union recognition
- Pharmacists who were transferred by Boots to receive bonus payment
- PDA can support members when their employer changes under a “TUPE Transfer”
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