PPA calls for Award hike
May 30, 2014
Professional Pharmacists
Australia (PPA) has called on the
Pharmacy Guild to join it in arguing
for a hike in the Pharmacy Industry
Award (PIA).
The PPA said it was responding
to Guild executive director David
Quilty’s forefront article, which said
excessive penalty rates discouraged
extended opening hours, such as
on Sundays and public holidays.
He said Guild members often paid
their staff above the award, which
put them at a cost disadvantage to
a discount chain, which paid lower
pharmacist wages.
“The Guild will put a strong and
well-argued case to this four-year
review for changes to the award
that encourage pharmacies to
remain open after hours and on
weekends employing pharmacists
and pharmacy assistants.”
The Guild also submitted that
non-standard working hours
were required to the Productivity
Commission (PD 27 May).
PPA president Dr Geoff March
said the best way to tackle the
issue of discount chain pharmacies
paying low wages was to lift the
Award, not reduce it.
“Such a change would not affect
the owners paying decent salaries
but would impact on discount
operators.
“If discount chains were forced
to pay wages more commensurate
with the rest of the industry,
this would relieve a great deal of
pressure on other operators and
be of significant benefit non-owner
pharmacists working in those
stores.”
The PPA said both the Guild’s
Productivity Commission and its
own Remuneration Survey (PD 01
Apr) had shown that wages were
stagnating, with the latter showing
wages had risen by 23 cents per
hour since 2009.
“This is a wonderful chance for
pharmacy to work together on
what non-owner pharmacists tell
us is one of the biggest threats
to community pharmacy, namely
discount chains.”
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