Pharmacy group faces industrial action threat over contracts row

One of the country’s largest pharmacy groups is facing the prospect of industrial action if a dispute over “unilateral” changes to staff contracts cannot be resolved.

According to Siptu, Uniphar Retail Services Group has inserted an “unacceptable” clause in the new contracts “stipulating that change can be implemented in line with business needs, which will invariably render void any agreed terms and conditions”.

Siptu, which is not recognised by Uniphar for collective negotiation purposes, claims the firm is making “unlawful” deductions from workers’ pay despite a number of rights commissioner rulings that the deductions are in breech of the Payment of Wages Act.