Pharmacy workers hopeful of a resolution with NHS Tayside

Striking NHS Tayside pharmacy workers are hopeful a resolution can be found as they prepare to enter the 11th week of their walkout.

The workers have been on strike since August 19 in a dispute over pay grades.

A job evaluation panel is due to meet tomorrow, followed by a consistency panel on Tuesday, to review the workers’ banding grade.

Unite the Union representative Steven Smith said: “We are going into our 11th week of striking and people are starting to get worried that their legal protection will be over, as it is only available for 12 weeks.

“That will mean they will have to go back to work but they want a resolution to this before that happens.

“A consistency panel was meant to meet last month but was cancelled due to there not being enough people for it, so the four or five week wait has been frustrating.”

Central to the dispute is the workers’ claim they have been on the health board’s secondlowest pay grade, earning between £17,949 and £20,015 a year, despite their job role changing significantly over the last decade.

They want the health board to acknowledge the duties they carry out as part of their job.

Mr Smith said: “I am hopeful the panel will give us a positive outcome.

“There could also be a case for back pay because this issue has been ongoing for 10 years.”

An NHS Tayside spokesman said: “The board remains committed to resolving this issue in good faith via a transparent and independent process which will ensure our staff can return to normal working.”