PDA to present motion on fairer pay to ICTU Biennial Delegate Conference

To help stop the pharmacists pay delay in Northern Ireland, the Pharmacists' Defence Association (PDA) will present a motion on fairer pay to the ICTU Biennial Delegate Conference, taking place from 5 to 7 July.

The PDA motion states, “…there are other employers within the health system, that echo Agenda for Change terms, despite the fact they are essentially private businesses contracted to the NHS, not actually public bodies. While echoing the pay structure has some advantages, these employers also seek to unnecessarily delay pay increases on the basis that the NHS changes are so delayed.

The Universities in Ulster Schools of Pharmacy are ranked as some of the highest in the UK. They are gifting our population with high calibre graduates destined to provide excellent patient care. These pharmacists want to stay in a job that helps patients. They want to deliver the care that they have spent years of time and often thousands of pounds to render themselves confident and capable.”

The political situation in Northern Ireland has significantly delayed the application of NHS pay awards behind GB counterparts. The association stated: "For example, last year’s uplift was applied 12 months after it was recommended. These delays affect not only those employed by the NHS but also those employed by organisations that mirror the Agenda for Change pay rates for their employees."

The PDA is affiliated with ICTU and as such PDA National Officer for Northern Ireland, Una O’Farrell will present a motion to its Biennial Delegate Conference on behalf of PDA members in Northern Ireland. The motion, titled ‘Fair Pay Now’, speaks to government structures to tighten timelines relating to the application of pay increases to all public sector workers.

The ICTU is the single umbrella organisation for trade unions and is the largest civil society organisation on the island of Ireland. It is required, through its mission statement, to strive to achieve economic development, social cohesion, and justice by upholding the values of solidarity, fairness, and equality.

Una O’Farrell said: “While I bring the motion on behalf of pharmacists working across multiple sectors, the issue of delayed pay uplifts is not specific to pharmacists, or even to those working in healthcare. However, as pharmacists, we stand in solidarity with all those affected by this failure of government to function and demand that this does not continue to drive down their living standards. I am pleased to represent pharmacists’ contribution to this larger debate.”