Pharmacists employed by LloydsPharmacy had until 5pm yesterday (June 22) to vote on whether to accept a third and “final” pay offer from the multiple.

PDA Union national officer Paul Moloney, who is leading pay talks with LloydsPharmacy, recently wrote to PDAU members working for the company advising them that following two rejected pay increase offers – one for a 1.8 per cent rise and one for 2.3 per cent – it was now offering a three per cent increase, backdated to April 1 this year.

“The company has described this as their final offer,” Mr Moloney said, adding that while it “falls well short” of the PDAU’s original demands and does not match current levels of inflation, it is “in line, just, with other increases in healthcare” including other community pharmacy employers. 

He said maintaining purchasing power “had been our starting point but inflation has risen quickly and unexpectedly since our claim was first submitted, with some of this due to unforeseen circumstances such as the Russian invasion of Ukraine”. 

“It simply has not been possible to persuade the company to match inflation during these discussions.” 

He said Lloyds has also put forward proposals for a ‘long-term incentive plan’ (LTIP) that could be worth up to £10,000 for some pharmacists, but urged members not to factor this into their decision on the pay offer as payments under the scheme “are not guaranteed and are dependent on factors often out with the control of individuals”.

Mr Moloney told members: "If a majority of members voting vote to accept the offer, we will communicate to the company that agreement has been reached and urge them to move quickly to implement the increase.

"If a majority votes to reject the offer, then we will seek further discussions with the company."

Pharmacy Network News has approached the PDAU to learn the outcome of the voting exercise.