Missing voting papers prompts a further PDAU extension request to Boots ballot process

On the first day of voting to derecognise the Boots Pharmacists’ Association, about 1% of eligible pharmacists and preregistration pharmacists contacted the Central Arbitration Committee to report they had not received their ballot papers. As a result, the Pharmacists’ Defence Association Union has requested another extension to the ballot timetable.

Mark Pitt, assistant general secretary of the PDAU said, “We are very disappointed by this entirely avoidable problem; it’s not just that we would expect an employer to hold the basic contact details of its own employees, but Boots has known about this postal ballot for months and had given assurances about the accuracy of the information it holds. They have had more than enough time to verify the quality of their data.”

Richard Bradley, pharmacy director at Boots UK, said: “Leaders were briefed to update any changes to home addresses promptly when the official ballot period started and we have updated the CAC on any address changes recorded on our [human resources administration] system over the last week. We have also provided daily updates on any changes to the bargaining unit, such as joiners and leavers. The ballot process and mail-out of ballot papers is being run by the appointed qualified independent person, Kanto Elect, and the number of pharmacists who we are aware did not receive a ballot paper equates to 0.7% of a total bargaining unit of nearly 7,000. Pharmacists who are eligible to vote and haven’t received a ballot paper can still email the CAC and voting doesn’t close for another seven days (23 May). We await the CAC’s decision on whether to extend the ballot period or not.”