Pharmacist date for Labour Court

A date has been set for a Labour Court hearing to resolve a dispute involving 500 hospital pharmacists. The hearing is scheduled to take place on 30th June.

Planned industrial action was suspended in February following confirmation by the Public Sector Agreement Group (PSAG) that the dispute could be referred to the Labour Court. The PSAG is a union-management forum that deals with issues arising from the Building Momentum agreement.

Fórsa’s hospital pharmacist members voted in favour of industrial action earlier in the year, in a dispute over the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform’s (DPER) refusal to sanction an improved hospital pharmacy service, which would deliver cost savings of €55m per year. The savings had already validated by the Department of Health and the HSE.