Pharmacists strike action
December 23, 2015
EMPLOYED pharmacists at
National Pharmacies stores across
Victoria and South Australia will
become the first in their profession
to take strike action against their
employer, spurred by threats to
reduce penalty rates, says the
employed pharmacists’ union,
Professional Pharmacists Australia
(PPA).
With a nation-wide debate raging
over the Productivity Commission’s
potential reversal of weekend
penalty rates from double time to
time and a half for workers in retail,
hospitality and entertainment, the
PPA estimates the proposed cuts
could trim new pharmacists’ pay
cheques by up to $10,000 a year.
From tomorrow (Thursday),
pharmacists will embark on
a campaign against National
Pharmacies, authorising strikes of
up to 24 hours that could force the
temporary closure of some sites if
the deadlock continues.
The campaign this week will
begin with pharmacists refusing to
perform a range of work duties.
National Pharmacies, which has
36 stores in SA, 17 in Vic and one
in WA and NSW, said the pressures
of a competitive and uncertain
marketplace had forced a need to
match the rest of the industry’s
offerings.
“Among the areas that need to be
aligned with the rest of the industry
are penalty rates,” the company
said.
Unions have vowed to wage a
national campaign leading into
the 2016 election, perceiving rate
reductions as an attack on workers
who should be rewarded for their
sacrifice, not penalised.
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