The Forsa public services union has negotiated a new agreement covering pharmacists in acute hospitals that includes a number of major improvements to pay and conditions. These include a shorter pay scale, an enhanced career structure, additional specialist and new senior posts, in addition to greater protections on the issue of weekend services, out of hours and extended working days. The union will now submit a similar claim to cover pharmacists working in community facilities.
Union negotiates new deal for hospital pharmacists
More like this
Hospital pharmacists to strike over pay structure
Members of the Fórsa public services union who work as hospital pharmacists have voted with a majority of 94% for strike action on 16 February. The union said that a range of measures had been proposed, including new senior posts and a new grading structure that have all been developed to improve and modernise hospital pharmacy services, and bring them in line with international best practice. These, have, however been rejected by the Department for Public Spending and Reform despite the potential for savings of €55m. The pay changes would particularly affect the lower end of the pay scale and
Hospital pharmacists call off strike action
Planned industrial action on 16 February by 500 hospital pharmacists, members of the Fórsa trade union, was called off as the dispute was referred to the Labour Court. The workers had voted overwhelmingly in favour of action in a dispute over pay and improvements in the hospital pharmacy service which had been put forward by the union but blocked by the public service ministry. The changes would deliver estimated cost savings of €55m per year, a figure validated by the Department of Health and the Health Services Executive.
New pay deal at Helios hospital group
Services union ver.di has negotiated a new collective agreement covering 15,000 employees of the Helios group of hospitals. A pay increase of €30 a month plus 3% is backdated to 1 March this year with a further 2.4% paid in March 2009. There is also a €225 lump sum paid this year and from 1 January 2010 pay rates in the East will be 100% of those in the West. The agreement runs until 31 December 2010 and ver.di believe this will bring pay at the company in line with pay in competing companies as well as pay in the public sector. [Read more at > ver.di (DE)->http://presse.verdi.de