Last time I wrote about the struggle faced by pharmacists at Boots, the U.K.'s largest pharmacy chain. In a historic move, pharmacists at the company have secured a landslide ballot, with 92.4% in favour of recognising the PDA as their union of choice.
As a result - and the first in British employment history - pharmacists have voted to end their relationship with the company backed union.
In their letter to Boots' head, Sebastien James, the PDA had the following to say:
"Boots have extended significant time, effort and money over 8 years to try and prevent this group having an independent voice at work, but through the relevant processes, pharmacists have finally had their say and this can no longer be resisted. There is no doubt in my mind that the conduct of your senior managers on this issue has damaged the reputation of the company and the relationship between employees and employer."
As a bit of background, for many years Boots had their own union, the Boots Pharmacists' Association (BPA). With enough registered members, it satisfied the letter of the law on what constituted a legitimate trade union.
Scratch past the surface and it was evident the BPA wasn't exactly a fully independent trade union. It received funding from Boots and was led by people influenced by Boots. This created a conflict of interest, which actually benefited the company when it came to working conditions.
This ballot result is significant. For years, pharmacists at the company have worked under worsening conditions and had to cope with the risk to their patients. Not to mention the cost to their health and personal lives. Now, they should be able to collectively raise issues with the full backing of the PDA.
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