Pharmacy workers are going on strike again. On Tuesday, they will gather in The Hague to demonstrate for a better collective agreement. Most pharmacies in Eindhoven will also be unavailable then. People are requested not to contact their local pharmacy that day unless it is urgent.
Fair working conditions
Last summer, the latest collective agreement talks were concluded. Still, working conditions have not improved, employees feel. ‘Pharmacists also want fair working conditions for their staff, said Marjo Toemen, board member at Care Group CaZo, on behalf of pharmacists in the region. ‘But the responsibility for the situation lies with the government and insurers. They should make room to bring salaries to a fair level.’
Emergency medication
Several Eindhoven pharmacies will be closed on Tuesday due to the strike. Patients can read on the pharmacy’s website whether that location is closed. Only emergency medication can be issued by the pharmacies. ‘How this is done varies per pharmacy,’ Toemen told us. ‘One pharmacy has the medication delivered to your home, at another pharmacy the medication can be collected or the medication is brought to a central point. It is determined by doctors which medications are urgent.’
Wage increase
Wages for pharmacy workers have increased less than inflation and wages for hospitals and GP assistants. This makes working conditions for pharmacy workers worse than other healthcare professionals, CaZo writes.
Trade unions CNV and FNV demand a wage increase of at least six per cent with retroactive effect from 1 July, but the employers do not want to go higher than two per cent. The minimum wage should also be raised to 16 euros, they argue. Not all hours worked are now paid. Short preparation moments, such as 15 minutes before opening, should also be paid, according to the unions.
Round of strikes
Pharmacy workers have been on strike in the Netherlands for some time. Last month, there was another round of strikes in Tilburg. At that time, many pharmacy workers from North Brabant, Limburg and Zeeland stopped work, but many Eindhoven pharmacies were still open.
Source: Studio040.nl
Translated by: Anitha Sevugan
