Union anger over pharmacy pay dispute

Unite Scottish secretary, Pat Rafferty, has written to the cabinet secretary for health and sport Jeane Freeman MSP, to register the union’s anger over her stepping into the current industrial dispute involving NHS Tayside pharmacy support workers.

Pharmacy support workers have been striking outside Perth Royal Infirmary and in Dundee since Monday.

They will remain there until they are told they will be paid a higher wage band, taking salaries to between £18,000 and £21,000.

Unite members are involved in continuous strike action over a “flawed” job evaluation process, which Unite believes has led to pharmacy support workers being paid at a lower grade than they should be.

NHS Tayside admitted the job evaluation process was not followed through to its rightful conclusion and Unite’s members were not given a right of appeal.

Joint talks between Unite and NHS Tayside on an external panel about an appeal process collapsed following advice by the cabinet secretary Jeane Freeman to the health board.

Mr Rafferty said: “Pharmacy support workers participating in continuous industrial action are rightly angered by the Scottish Government’s interference in an industrial dispute between Unite and NHS Tayside.

“Both parties had agreed to an independent process which would judge on the appeals of workers over the grading issues which have led to this dispute.

“However, this jointly agreed way forward was brought to a halt following the involvement of the cabinet secretary for health and sport.

“This dispute could have been easily avoided. It’s time that the Scottish Government got out of the way and allow both parties to resume negotiations on the basis of the process initially agreed between NHS Tayside and Unite, which we believe can bring about a positive resolution.”