This quote appears in a booklet jointly published by Boots UK and the retail workers union, USDAW who have recognition agreements in other parts of the Boots UK business:
“We have looked to maintain a strong and successful working relationship with Usdaw, and this is exemplified with how the Lifelong Learning agenda has been taken forward within our Supply Chain. By achieving a true partnership we have delivered great benefits for our colleagues, and are very proud of the achievements of all of our people who have returned to learning.” – Boots UK Head of Human Resources, Judith Lyons
You can also read here a story from 2014 about how the joint Boots-USDAW project was refreshed to enable greater learning for Boots employees.
https://www.unionlearn.org.uk/case-studies/usdaw-and-boots-working-together-increase-skills
This shows how, at the same time as the company were working in partnership with USDAW on this project, they had already signed a secret deal with the BPA designed to prevent pharmacists from having an independent way of having their voice heard through the PDA Union.
Mark Pitt, Assistant General Secretary of PDA Union said: “Pharmacists at Boots have been asking for a long time why senior management seem to listen to the independent voice of other employees in the business, but not the independent voice of pharmacists. Pharmacists’ opinions must be valued too through a similar arrangement.”
Boots Pharmacists can vote in complete confidence to secure the ability for the PDA Union to negotiate over pay, hours and other working conditions on their behalf in a ballot starting 4th February. The ballot period is scheduled to run for five weeks. Pharmacists and pre-registration pharmacists at grade 5, 6 & 7 in stores or on relief will be entitled to vote.