Pharmacy Daily | Employers not engaging with PPA

EMPLOYEE pharmacists' union, Professional Pharmacists Australia (PPA), is increasingly having to resort to legal avenues to resolve disputes between its members and pharmacy owners, President, Dr Geoff March, reports.

In his annual report, March said the union, which is part of Professionals Australia (PA), had seen an 8% growth in membership over the last 12 months.

March noted that PA data showed the PA's national legal and industrial staff had dealt with 255 matters on behalf of pharmacists and pharmacy technicians in the year to 31 Oct.

"This made up 14% of all Workplace and Advisory Service (WAS) team's work," he said.

"Pharmacy employees continue to have a higher proportion of individual employment issues than any other group of PA members."

The PA data revealed 13% of cases raised for PPA members were Pharmacy Board of Australia notifications, with March saying the organisation "very rarely has to assist members with notifications regarding their performance to their respective regulatory bodies".

"PPA members were also more likely than other PA members to seek advice and representation on leave entitlements (7%), wage theft (7%), and obtaining award, National Employment Standards and enterprise entitlements (16%)," he said.

"It has been noticed over the last year or so that pharmacy employers are becoming less likely to resolve matters in discussions with the union.

"As a result, many of the matters raised by our members result in an increasing need for PA staff to resort to litigation in the Fair Work Commission or the Federal Court in order to ensure our PPA members obtain their legal rights."

March added that during the COVID-19 pandemic pharmacists had reported "significant increases in workload, stress and aggressive patients".

Pharmacy workers who are struggling with anxiety and/or stress can contact the Pharmacists' Support Service on 1300 244 910 to help.