Earlier this month, many pharmacists working in GPFED NI received correspondence from their employer relating to the outstanding pay award for the financial year 2023/24. The company did not negotiate with the PDA’s Joint Negotiation Forum (JNF) before doing so and therefore bypassed the recognition agreement.
Furthermore, the particulars of the proposed award were not applied uniformly across all federations.
This movement was unanticipated by the PDA, as it had been expected that the proposal would be in line with the Agenda for Change pay award, applied uniformly across all federations, and would have first been brought to the JNF.
As GPFED NI told their employees that the pay adjustment will be made at the end of June, the PDA held an urgent consultation with members. During this meeting, it was unanimously agreed that the pay proposal was unacceptable due to a range of reasons, such as the uncertainty over the application of the lump sum payment, the geographical disparity in uplift, and the lack of prior negotiation.
Members can be assured that the PDA is working to resolve these critical issues with GPFED NI as soon as possible to ensure that members receive an acceptable pay award.
Learn more
- PDA update for members in Northern Ireland
- PDA Union announces recognition agreement covering pharmacists in Northern Ireland working for GP Federations
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