The Pharmacists' Defence Association Union has signed an agreement to represent pharmacists in Northern Ireland who work for GP federations.

The agreement, signed last week at the Federation Support Units offices in Belfast, will see the PDAU negotiate pay, leave, pensions and other issues for more than 300 pharmacists in the country. The Pharmacists' Defence Association said it would work alongside 17 individual organisations.

The PDA also said the agreement “allows for a limited number of PDA Union representatives to be established and provides for time of and training for members interested in taking on this role”.

“This is an important development for the PDA union and its members in Northern Ireland. This is our second recognition agreement and the first that has not required us to use the statutory recognition process,” said PDAU national officer Paul Moloney.

“We would like to place on record our thanks to the team at the Federation Support Unit for coordinating the employers' side and working to bring the agreement into force. We look forward to working constructively with them and the individual federations to ensure their pharmacists have a strong voice at work.”