PROFESSIONAL Pharmacists Australia (PPA) members employed at HPS Pharmacies in Hobart and Launceston hospitals will take strike action today in their ongoing fight for fair wages and improved working conditions.
The pharmacists will stage a two-hour stoppage "to send a strong message to HPS management", highlighting their dissatisfaction and demands for a fair deal.
Pharmacists at HPS Pharmacies have been negotiating a new Enterprise Agreement to address the ongoing workforce attraction and retention crisis for almost a year.
Despite repeated efforts to secure a fair deal, the union said HPS management has refused to offer a meaningful pay increase, leaving pharmacists frustrated and undervalued.
PPA Lead Organiser Eduardo Gonzalez said that HPS pharmacists earn significantly less than their public sector counterparts, which exacerbates workforce shortages and places additional strain on those who remain.
"An experienced full-time pharmacist at HPS earns just over $81,000 per year, substantially below the national average wage and up to 30% less than pharmacists employed in the public health system," Gonzalez said.
"Pharmacists undertake years of university education and rigorous training to ensure the safe and effective use of medicines, yet they are being paid significantly less than they deserve," he continued.
"It is unacceptable that HPS pharmacists, who provide essential healthcare services in hospital settings, struggle to make endsmeet."
In a resounding rejection of HPS's inadequate offer, 99% of pharmacists voted against the proposed agreement in a formal ballot conducted in Nov 2024.
Since then, HPS has slightly improved its offer, proposing an additional 1% wage increase over three years, which pharmacists said does nothing to address the ongoing workforce crisis.
"HPS's latest proposal is insulting," Gonzalez said.
"Pharmacists have made it clear that they will not accept a substandard agreement that fails to address fair pay and staffing shortages," he continued.
"Our members don't take industrial action lightly, however, they have reached a breaking point.
"If HPS truly values its workforce and the critical services pharmacists provide, it must return to the bargaining table with a serious offer," Gonzalez concluded.
PPA continues to call on HPS to recognise the value of its workforce and take immediate steps to resolve the dispute by offering fair wages and conditions that reflect pharmacists' critical role in patient care and community health. KB
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