Mandate Trade Union condemn Lloyds Pharmacy for forcing workers to strike

Friday 22 June 2018

Lloyds workers thank public for support

Mandate Trade Union has criticised management in Lloyds Pharmacy for leaving their workers with no option but to participate in a two hour strike today (Friday, 22nd June 2018) from 10am-12noon in 34 stores across Ireland.

Last Thursday 29 Lloyds Pharmacy stores took industrial action for one hour after their company refused to accept a Labour Court recommendation and negotiate with their trade union Mandate.

Today up to 230 workers are escalating the strike with an additional five stores joining the picket lines for an extra hour. This brings the total striking stores to 34, along with delivery drivers.

Mandate say the company has left the workers with no alternative but to strike.

Gerry Light, Mandate Assistant General Secretary said:

“Our members do not want to be out on strike today. No worker wants to take industrial action. But the Lloyds workers are extremely frustrated because they know all it would take to resolve this dispute is for the company to sit down and negotiate with their trade union.”

Samantha Lennon, who has worked in her pharmacy for 8 years thanked the public for their support:

“The support we’ve received so far from the public has been overwhelming. We had lots of people come down to the picket lines last week to say well done to us for sticking up for ourselves. It’s great to hear that from customers you’ve been serving for years. They know what our issues are and they’re 100 percent behind us.”

Commenting on taking action for a second time, Ms Lennon said:

“We’re very disappointed it’s come to this. We had hoped management would contact our union before today so that we wouldn’t have to go on strike. We’ve been to the Labour Court and they agreed that our company should engage with us through our union. Sadly this hasn’t happened so we’ve been forced to go on strike again.”

She added, “We’re very sorry to inconvenience our customers. They know how much they mean to us and we always do our best by them, but we cannot continue to allow this level of disrespect to continue. All we are looking for is the rights that workers in other pharmacies like Boots have.”

Addressing claims by the company that they do not operate zero hour contracts and that the company is discussing conditions of employment with the company’s internal staff committee, Mr Light said the company’s arguments are misleading and disingenuous.

“We’ve published two zero hour contracts offered by Lloyds Pharmacy and yet Lloyds continue to say they do not offer them. This is misleading, at best, and is exactly why our members do not trust the company and want independent representation.”

He added, “The company keep referring to progress being made with their ‘CRC’, which was established by management and is funded by LloydsPharmacy, as the company confirmed to the Labour Court. It has no legal status. It has no negotiating license and is simply a sophisticated anti-union tactic imported from the United States in order to ensure workers do not have the right to independent representation.”

“Our members are not stupid, they understand exactly what the company are doing,” said Mr Light.

“Instead of putting so much energy and resources into union busting and insulting their workers’ intelligence, Lloyds Pharmacy should do the decent thing by their employees and by the public by picking up the phone to Mandate Trade Union today,” concluded Mr Light.

The Labour Court recommendation stated: “the Court recommends that the parties engage in order to seek agreement in relation to the matters raised by the Trade Union.”

The strike relates to a claim by Mandate Trade Union on behalf of its 230 members employed by LloydsPharmacy which includes:

• A pay increase and incremental pay scales;
• The introduction of a sick pay scheme;
• Security of hours and the elimination of zero hour contracts; and
• Improvements in annual leave entitlements and public holiday premiums.

NOTE

LloydsPharmacy is Ireland’s largest pharmaceutical chain operating 88 stores across the country with approximately 800 workers employed in their pharmacies.

LloydsPharmacy is owned by the McKesson Corporation which is the largest pharmaceutical company in the world with revenues of €169 billion in 2017 – more than double the revenue of the Irish state.

McKesson also own UDG Healthcare (formerly United Drug) which is headquartered in Ireland, and where the workers are afforded their right to trade union representation (SIPTU and Unite represent staff in Ireland).

The list of striking stores includes:

No	Shop	Address
1	Blanchardstown S.C.	SuperValu S.C., Blanchardstown, Dublin 15, Dublin
2	Castleknock, Castle Court	Castlecourt S.C., Castleknock, D 15
3	Castlenock, Carpenterstown Rd.	Spar S.C., Carpenterstown Road, Dublin 15
4	Rathborne	Unit 7 The Village Centre, Rathborne, Ashtown, D 15
5	Blanchardstown Main St.	2 Main Street, Blanchardstown, Dublin 15, Dublin
6	Northside S.C.	Northside S.C., Coolock, Dublin 17, Dublin
7	Tonlegee Rd	44 Tonlegee Road, Coolock, Dublin 5, Dublin
8	Artane Castle S.C.	Artane Castle S.C., Kilmore Road, Dublin 5, Dublin
9	Glasnevin	4 Fitzmaurice Road, Glasnevin, Dublin 11, Dublin
10	Killester	Supervalu S.C., Killester, Dublin 3, Dublin
11	Stoneybatter	39 Stoneybatter, Stoneybatter, Dublin 7, Dublin
12	Drumcondra	10 Upr Drumcondra Road, Drumcondra, Dublin 9, Dublin
13	Raheny	413 Howth Road, Raheny, Dublin 5, Dublin
14	Omni Park S.C.	Omni Park S.C., Santry, Dublin 9, Dublin
15	Finglas	47 Main Street, Finglas, Dublin 11, Dublin
16	Coolock S.C.	Coolock Village S.C., Coolock, Dublin 5, Dublin
17	Kilbarrack S.C.	Kilbarrack S.C., Kilbarrack, Dublin 5
18	Neilstown	Neilstown, Clondalkin, Dublin 22, Dublin
19	Mill S.C. Clondalkin	The Mill S.C., Clondalkin, Dublin 22, Dublin
20	Rowlagh	1 Chaplains Place, Rowlagh, Dublin 22, Dublin
21	Lucan	Superquinn S.C., Lucan, Co Dublin, Dublin
22	Ballyfermot	292 Ballyfermot Road, Ballyfermot, Dublin 10, Dublin
23	Knocklyon S.C.	Supervalu SC, Knocklyon, Dublin 16
24	Castle Street S.C. Bray	Supervalu SC, Castle St., Bray, Co. Wicklow
25	Nutgrove S.C.	Nutgrove SC, Rathfarnham
26	Shankill	Main St. Shankill
27	Blackrock S.C.	Blackrock SC, Blackrock, Co. Dublin
28	Tallaght Main St.	Main Street, Tallaght, Dublin 24, Dublin
29	Tallaght Aylesbury S.C.	Aylesbury S.C., Tallaght, Dublin 24, Dublin
30	Wicklow	Main St., Wicklow Town
31	Baltinglass	Main St., Baltinglass
32	Pearse St. Mullingar	20 Pearse Street, Mullingar, Co Westmeath, Westmeath
33	Wellingtonbridge, Wexford	Main Street, Wellington Bridge, Co. Wexford
34	Sligo	Toghers Chemist, O’Connoll St., Sligo
35	Dublin delivery drivers	Various locations