LloydsPharmacy pharmacists have agreed to a pay deal in which they will receive a 3.5% bonus payment this month, followed by a 2.25% bonus in October.
According to the Pharmacists’ Defence Association (PDA) union, which led negotiations on behalf of the employees, everyone in the bargaining unit, including those at threat of redundancy or transfer, will receive the payments. The union agreed to non-consolidated lump sum payments, which have not been added to the salaries of pharmacists at the business or those at other Hallo Healthcare organisations.
Negotiations were ongoing for several months, as LloydsPharmacy employees asked for a pay increase in line with average earnings across the private sector. The union registered a dispute with the employer last month, which could have led to industrial action, at the request of the majority of members.
A spokesperson for LloydsPharmacy said: “The last year has been another challenging period for us and the wider pharmacy industry. We continue to support our patients and customers across the UK and, as always, we are ever grateful to our pharmacists for their much-valued contribution.
“This year we have taken a different approach to our annual pay review process and have taken account of the cost-of-living challenges. This innovative approach has been well received by our pharmacists and the PDA union. We would like to thank all of our pharmacists for their patience and continued focus during these discussions. We are pleased with how the process has worked and that we have reached a good outcome.”
Paul Moloney, national officer and lead negotiator at the PDA, said: “We took the decision to accept the offer, which was clearly the business’ final offer. It is significantly improved from their initial offer and subsequent offers made during the negotiations. We believe the acceptance of the offer is firmly in the interests of members in view of the particular circumstances of uncertainty that exist at the moment and the need to ensure payment is made as quickly as possible.”
