NHS Tayside pharmacy workers will continue to strike after talks break down
Last updated 31st Oct 2019
Industrial action by pharmacy support workers at NHS Tayside looks set to continue – after talks to find a resolution broke down.
Staff have been striking since August over what they believe is a “flawed job evaluation” which has left some being paid at a lower grade.
An Evaluation Panel meeting – which consists of members from the Scottish Germs and Conditions Committee - on Thursday 24th of October recommended an upgrade for workers.
However, this wasn’t ratified by the Consistency Panel which met on the 29th of October.
Unite the Union says NHS Tayside admitted the job evaluation process was not followed through to its rightful conclusion and the workers weren’t given a right of appeal.
Speaking to Tay News, Unite regional industrial officer Susan Roberston said: “Nothing would surprise me in this fiasco – nothing at all would surprise me.
“It’s as if NHS Tayside and the Scottish Government are doing everything they can to delay this and delay this.
“I don’t see any evidence of them trying desperately to get staff back to work because it’s about absolving themselves of responsibility.
“Nobody want this decision to land on their doorstep.”
She added: “Workers are angry and frustrated, but they’re as determined as they were on the first day of action.
It’s been a long haul for them, they’ve been let down on numerous occasions which has angered them even more and made them more determined.”
A spokesperson for NHS Tayside said, “NHS Tayside and Unite have been notified that the Scottish Terms and Conditions Committee (STAC) is continuing to consider the evidence shared by both organisations and we await STAC’s final decision.
“We have not been advised of the outcome from the first stage of the evaluation process held last week and we believe that there will be no grading outcome communicated to NHS Tayside or Unite until the full process led by STAC is complete.
“STAC is the most senior independent body responsible for terms and conditions in NHS Scotland and the process involving STAC was agreed by NHS Tayside and Unite.
“NHS Tayside 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.”
We've contacted the Scottish Government for comment.
More to follow…
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