Six Boots pharmacists launched a legal challenge last month to have their pay, hours and holiday collectively negotiated by the PDA Union. The challenge was delivered to the Central Arbitration Committee (CAC) – the independent body responsible for resolving workplace disputes – on July 28.

In a letter to Boots employees last Friday (August 4) – and seen by C+D – Boots Pharmacists’ Association's (BPA) executive said the union is “committed to ensuring that we retain our current consultative agreement and recognition by Boots”.

“If the agreement is not maintained, we believe the effectiveness and purpose of the BPA in its current form would be under threat.”

The executive – which is “made up of pharmacists holding various roles throughout Boots” – said it “believes the best interests of Boots pharmacists, members and non-members alike, are served by the BPA in the current arrangement”.

It pointed to a “long list of achievements which have benefited our members and other pharmacists in the company”, including negotiating paid flu vaccination training time, and “enhanced benefits for pharmacists in the current Boots pension scheme”.

The BPA also “negotiated a commitment from Boots to maintain workload-driven staffing levels” in the face of the pharmacy funding cuts in England, it stressed.

Review panel appointed

The PDA announced last week that the CAC – the independent body responsible for resolving workplace disputes – had appointed a three-person panel to review the challenge to the BPA.

The dispute dates back to January 2012, when the PDA Union called for official recognition from Boots, after alleging the multiple's employees were tired of their employment terms being "gradually eroded".

For a timeline of the Boots and PDA saga from 2012 to 2017, click here.