The Central Arbitration Committee (CAC) have formally accepted the application on behalf of pharmacists at LloydsPharmacy to secure an independent voice at work through trade union recognition of the PDA. The statutory process now proceeds to the next stage.
The first part of the test for the application was the PDA providing evidence that more than 10% of the pharmacists in the proposed bargaining unit [the group of employees for whom the union intend to negotiate] are in union membership.
This was assessed by the CAC undertaking an independent and strictly confidential membership check, comparing a list of employed Lloyds pharmacists against a list of union members who said they worked at Lloyds.
The PDA were initially concerned to note that Lloyds had failed to include pre-registration trainees in the data they were instructed to provide to the CAC, despite these employees being included in the proposed bargaining unit. The company had to subsequently provide this data and apologised to the CAC for their error. A second check using the correct information was undertaken where the CAC identified that 1,099 employees, 43% of the proposed bargaining unit, were already members of the PDA Union.
CAC panels consist of experts from the trade union and management sides of employee relations and a legally qualified chair. Having established the numerical position of membership the panel then assessed whether a majority of the workers in the proposed bargaining unit would be likely to favour recognition of the PDA Union.
After carefully considering the evidence submitted by Lloyds and the PDA Union, the panel decided this was likely and on 11th September confirmed the application has been accepted. The process now continues to decide upon the bargaining unit, if Lloyds do not agree with the one proposed by the union.
Mark Pitt, Assistant General Secretary of PDA Union said: “Lloyds pharmacists tell us they want an independent voice at work, not just for support through the current changes, but to negotiate for better pay and conditions as well as ensuring safe and healthy work places.
Lloyds management now have another opportunity to reach a voluntary agreement and we hope they will do that and accept our invitation to work positively together as they have previously told us they would like to do.”
The union will shortly be writing out to every eligible Lloyds pharmacist and pre-registration pharmacist with details of the benefits a recognition agreement will bring and how to become involved in the representative network.
ACT NOW : Pharmacists at Lloyds can help support their colleagues on this issue:
- If you’re not already a PDA member, join us now. If you are a member, please encourage a colleague to join us.
- Pledge your support for union recognition so that we can do even more to help pharmacists at Lloyds.
- If you are concerned about the impact of the changes please contact us for legal advice and support at enquiries@the-pda.org “
- Please share this information with any pharmacists or pre-registration pharmacists you know who work at Lloyds Pharmacy.
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Pharmacists raising concerns about proposed changes at Lloyds