The PDAU promised to give £1 to charity for each vote cast in the recognition ballot at Boots this year and has met this promise with a total donation of £3,500 to charities that support conditions that can affect pharmacists. Importantly, this donation was not dependent on how people voted and was a way to encourage participation in an important ballot whilst at the same time supporting worthy causes.
The PDAU support members who have been discriminated against because of a disability. That isn’t just wrong but is also illegal under the Equality Act 2010. One condition covered by the Act is autism spectrum disorder and the union recently supported a case where an employer (NB: this was not Boots) discriminated against a pharmacist recently diagnosed with Asperger Syndrome and then failed to properly support them at work before unfairly dismissing them. The Union also regularly provides assistance to pharmacy undergraduates and pre-registration pharmacists with an autism spectrum disorder who are particularly vulnerable in the workplace.
The National Autistic Society support people with autism and their families. Part of their work involves working with employers so that they can play their part in making the world a more autism-friendly place by knowing how to recruit and manage autistic employees. NAS employment consultants offer advice, support and training to managers and their teams and it’s clear to the PDAU that if more employers invested in training on this topic we’d see a reduction in the sort of discrimination our member experienced.
Mark Pitt, Assistant General Secretary of the PDA Union said: “We are delighted to donate £1,750 to the NAS. As pharmacists we know prevention is better than cure and we hope this donation will go some way to help prevent people with autism being discriminated against in their employment”
Pictured: Eric Kent, Supporter Fundraising Officer, The National Autistic Society; Helen Lewis, PDAU Regional Official and members of the network at Boots.
About the National Autistic Society
Founded in 1962, the National Autistic Society is the UK’s leading charity for autistic people and their families. The goal of the charity is to help transform lives, change attitudes and create a society that works for autistic people. The main aim is to change the way the world sees autistic people.
The charity offers a wide range of services including training courses, helplines and volunteer-run branches. As the UK’s largest provider of specialist autism schools and services, their goal is to help transform lives, change attitudes and build a society that works for autistic people.
The National Autistic Society runs pioneering schools and adult services and provides support throughout education and employment by working with schools, universities and employment support services. The charity helps individuals build the skills needed for work and provides support through coaching, CV writing and social and practical skills.
Find out more about the National Autistic Society here.
As a union, this issue of one’s ability to work is very close to our hearts. The PDA Union exists to represent, defend and support the interests of members by fighting for greater security at work. With this in mind, we are very pleased to be able to support the great work that the charity does.
These charity donations are another positive aspect of the ballot at Boots and build upon the previous donation of £3,308 given to Macmillan Cancer Support after the first ballot. However, the main outcome of the ballot was the recognition for the PDAU to speak on behalf of all store based and relief pharmacists and pre-registration trainees at the company.
Since the ballot PDAU and Boots have negotiated a formal recognition agreement and established consultation and negotiation structures that will ensure pharmacists have a voice on issues through their union.
Related links
Find out more about the first PDAU network in place at Boots here.
Read about the recognition agreement signed by the PDA Union and Boots signed by the PDA Union and Boots here.