Pharmacy Assistant Strikes Prohibited During Christmas Week by Court Ruling

In a surprising turn of events, a planned strike by pharmacy workers in Utrecht has been called off, following a court ruling in favour of pharmacy owners. The strike, which was scheduled to take place from Monday to Friday, had been in support of a 6% wage rise and a minimum hourly wage of €16.

The decision to cancel the strike comes after judges in Utrecht ruled that pharmacy assistants may not strike next week. Pharmacy owners had sought an emergency injunction to stop the strike, citing potential irreversible problems for people unable to get their medication.

The strike, which would have closed pharmacies all week due to the Christmas break, had been planned as a follow-up to a national strike held last month by the pharmacy workers. This marked the first such action by the workers, who are represented by the organization NU’91.

The pharmacy workers had also demanded that their pay includes the work done before opening the pharmacy, a demand that pharmacy owners have been reluctant to accept. Surveys among pharmacy assistants indicate that aggression is a primary reason for staff turnover, suggesting a need for improved working conditions.

Pharmacy owners have described the planned strike as "completely irresponsible", given the potential impact on patients' access to medication. They argue that working at a hospital can potentially offer a monthly salary of €600 to €800 more than working at a pharmacy, making it an attractive alternative for some pharmacy workers.

The court hearing took place on Thursday evening, with pharmacy owners presenting their case for the injunction. The ruling in favour of the pharmacy owners has resulted in the cancellation of the strike, much to the relief of both patients and pharmacy owners. However, the issue of wages and working conditions for pharmacy workers remains unresolved and is likely to be a topic of discussion in the coming weeks.