Penalty rate row stirs strife at pharmacies
Pharmacists at dozens of stores in Victoria and South Australia have walked off the job in unprecedented strikes over pay and conditions.
The industrial action, affecting 53 National Pharmacies outlets on Tuesday, are the first strikes ever to be launched by pharmacists in Australia. 
It comes amid a bitter feud over National Pharmacies' push to slash Saturday penalty rates and introduce a two-tiered wage scheme the union says would lower pay for new pharmacists by $4 an hour.
"Pharmacists have never taken stop-work action before," Professional Pharmacists Australia campaign director Matt Harris said.
"They are taking this unprecedented action as a last resort."
The hour-long strikes on Tuesday morning could lead to longer stoppages if the deadlock continues, with union members authorising further strikes of up to 24 hours. The union said longer strikes could force the temporary closure of some sites.
Mr Harris said pharmacists did not want to work alongside colleagues who had the same qualifications but were being paid less.
"Slashing the hourly rate in the agreement for new employees might look like a superficial cost saving, but it will have a successively negative impact on workplace productivity, and the profession overall," he said.
"Graduate pharmacists see pay and conditions in their chosen profession declining and have real concerns about making ends meet and building a career."
According to wage data compiled by Graduate Careers Australia, pharmacy graduates are paid a median starting salary of $44,300, the equal lowest of all graduate salaries.
National Pharmacies said it regretted the inconvenience to customers who were affected by Tuesday industrial action.
The company said the pressures of a competitive and uncertain marketplace, including changes to the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme, had forced a need to align with the rest of the industry.
"National Pharmacies is negotiating with the union for a new enterprise agreement that takes reasonable and responsible steps to adjust to the changing pharmacy industry," the company said in a statement.
"National Pharmacies is committed to negotiating in good faith to reach an outcome that is fair, equitable and sustainable for everyone, including all of its valued and respected pharmacists."
The company said its pharmacists' terms and conditions were "significantly better" than their industry peers.