Several pharmacists across the United States, unhappy with worsening working conditions at mammoth retail chains, kick-started their third and most extensive walkout of the season, calling it it "Pharmageddon."

Over 4,500 pharmacists and pharmacy technicians from several&nbsp;chains, namely&nbsp;CVS, Rite Aid, and Walgreens, participated in the movement.

The industry's biggest professional organisation,&nbsp;The American Pharmacists Association, has also expressed its support, showing accord with those participating.&nbsp;

<h2>What does the latest walkout signify?</h2>

This walkout comes as the latest in a series of actions that have affected the pharmacy industry.&nbsp;

The September 2023 walkout let to the shutdown of a dozen pharmacies in the Kansas area. The second one, that took place in October 2023 affected several Walgreens stores across the country.&nbsp;

Pharmacy employees are taking part in these protests to primarily address their ongoing struggles, calling for the need to equip stores with more personnel and resources.&nbsp;

Over the years, major pharmacy chains, including CVS and Walgreens, have continued to cut staffing levels while assigning frontline workers with overwhelming amounts of work.&nbsp;

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/donald-trump-and-children-will-soon-testify-in-new-york-civil-fraud-trial-653311">Also read |&nbsp;Donald Trump and his 3 children will soon testify in New York civil fraud trial</a>

Many workers complain that the situation has gone from bad to worse after the COVID-19 pandemic.&nbsp;

Additionally, most stores are also operating at half the workforce they had a decade ago.&nbsp;

The high prescription volume, vaccine appointments, rapid tests, and patient consultation calls made the situation even more pressing for pharmacy staff.

This pressure has resulted in mounting medication errors, which in turn puts the patient's safety at risk.&nbsp;

Many pharmacists are also complaining of&nbsp;long work hours that lead to exhaustion and errors.

The core demand of the walkout participants is additional staff to handle prescription filling and dispensing,&nbsp;patient vaccinations, and patient consultation calls.&nbsp;

<h2>What are the big pharmacies saying?</h2>

In response to these demands, CVS, Walgreens, and Rite Aid have all issued statements acknowledging their problems while at work and assurance that&nbsp;working conditions would improve over time.&nbsp;

CVS, for instance, carried out changes to better working conditions and patient safety after a walkout, which included additional staffing and paid overtime.

Also watch |&nbsp;Layoff fears loom over US workers despite strong economy

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Walgreens responded by launching a listening tour and allowing understaffed stores to cut down on&nbsp;the number of daily vaccination appointments.

It is important to note that&nbsp;all pharmacists participating in the walkout are affiliated with major chains.

Some, like Kyara Dawbin, a pharmacy technician at Hannaford Supermarkets in Maine, have experienced similar staffing cuts and mounting pressure.

(With inputs from agencies)

&nbsp;

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Several pharmacists across the United States, unhappy with worsening working conditions at mammoth retail chains, kick-started their third and most extensive walkout of the season, calling it it "Pharmageddon.

Several pharmacists across the United States, unhappy with worsening working conditions at mammoth retail chains, kick-started their third and most extensive walkout of the season, calling it it "Pharmageddon." Over 4,500 pharmacists and pharmacy technicians from several chains, namely CVS, Rite Aid, and Walgreens, participated in the movement. The industry's biggest professional organisation, The American Pharmacists Association, has also expressed its support, showing accord with those participating. What does the latest walkout signify? This walkout comes as the latest in a series of actions that have affected the pharmacy industry. The September 2023 walkout let to the shutdown of a dozen pharmacies in the Kansas area. The second one, that took place in October 2023 affected several Walgreens stores across the country. Pharmacy employees are taking part in these protests to primarily address their ongoing struggles, calling for the need to equip stores with more personnel and resources. Over the years, major pharmacy chains, including CVS and Walgreens, have continued to cut staffing levels while assigning frontline workers with overwhelming amounts of work. Also read | Donald Trump and his 3 children will soon testify in New York civil fraud trial Many workers complain that the situation has gone from bad to worse after the COVID-19 pandemic. Additionally, most stores are also operating at half the workforce they had a decade ago. The high prescription volume, vaccine appointments, rapid tests, and patient consultation calls made the situation even more pressing for pharmacy staff. This pressure has resulted in mounting medication errors, which in turn puts the patient's safety at risk. Many pharmacists are also complaining of long work hours that lead to exhaustion and errors. The core demand of the walkout participants is additional staff to handle prescription filling and dispensing, patient vaccinations, and patient consultation calls. What are the big pharmacies saying? In response to these demands, CVS, Walgreens, and Rite Aid have all issued statements acknowledging their problems while at work and assurance that working conditions would improve over time. CVS, for instance, carried out changes to better working conditions and patient safety after a walkout, which included additional staffing and paid overtime. Also watch | Layoff fears loom over US workers despite strong economy Walgreens responded by launching a listening tour and allowing understaffed stores to cut down on the number of daily vaccination appointments. It is important to note that all pharmacists participating in the walkout are affiliated with major chains. Some, like Kyara Dawbin, a pharmacy technician at Hannaford Supermarkets in Maine, have experienced similar staffing cuts and mounting pressure. (With inputs from agencies) WATCH WION LIVE HERE:

‘Pharmageddon’ in US: Over 4500 pharmacists begin 3-day walkout, demand better working conditions

Soon, tourists will have the option of choosing a hotel in Spain not only based on the hotel view&nbsp;or size of the pool, but also the working conditions of the employees.

Las&nbsp;Kellys, the tireless chambermaids' organisation in Spain, is setting up its own booking platform after failing to convince Booking.com and TripAdvisor to include working conditions alongside hotel ratings.

As of last week, the crowdfunding campaign had reached its minimum goal of €60,000 and is on track to reach the maximum of €90,000.

Las Kellys spokesperson Vania Arana says they want to usher in a new era of tourism that puts humanity above economic interests.

The organisation's criteria for a quality hotel include adhering to health and safety regulations, having an equal pay policy, employing vulnerable people, and employing chambermaids in-house.

The movement was sparked when Hotels, particularly the major chains, increasingly began outsourcing their staff to agencies.&nbsp;Under national pay agreements, these agencies employ people as cleaners, a job that pays less than chambermaids.

Earlier, hotel chambermaids were considered staff and were protected by an agreement guaranteeing&nbsp;a monthly wage of €1,200 (£1,025) for a 40-hour week, as well as sick leave and maternity benefits.

While outsourced contracts have the appearance of offering the same wages and conditions, they also contain terms and conditions like how many rooms need to be finished within a six-hour shift, typically between 25 and 30, which is humanly impossible.

In the event that workers do not meet their quotas, they get fired. So, in order to meet their quotas, the workers&nbsp;take on unpaid overtime, resulting in an hourly wage of €3 or €4 that is far below the minimum wage.

This pandemic, which forced hotels to close, highlighted the precarious working conditions of these women. Many of the agencies that handled outsourced work simply closed the company without applying for the furlough scheme, said Arana.

It was only through food bank donations and the generosity of churches and community groups that the women survived.

When people are looking for hotels, Arana says they should look for one where there are good working conditions and exploitation is not an issue. She adds that the only effect of outsourcing is sickness, an enormous amount of work, and, ultimately, poverty.

Soon, tourists will have the option of choosing a hotel in Spain not only based on the hotel view or size of the pool, but also the working conditions of the employees.

Soon, tourists will have the option of choosing a hotel in Spain not only based on the hotel view or size of the pool, but also the working conditions of the employees. Las Kellys, the tireless chambermaids' organisation in Spain, is setting up its own booking platform after failing to convince Booking.com and TripAdvisor to include working conditions alongside hotel ratings. As of last week, the crowdfunding campaign had reached its minimum goal of €60,000 and is on track to reach the maximum of €90,000. Las Kellys spokesperson Vania Arana says they want to usher in a new era of tourism that puts humanity above economic interests. The organisation's criteria for a quality hotel include adhering to health and safety regulations, having an equal pay policy, employing vulnerable people, and employing chambermaids in-house. The movement was sparked when Hotels, particularly the major chains, increasingly began outsourcing their staff to agencies. Under national pay agreements, these agencies employ people as cleaners, a job that pays less than chambermaids. Earlier, hotel chambermaids were considered staff and were protected by an agreement guaranteeing a monthly wage of €1,200 (£1,025) for a 40-hour week, as well as sick leave and maternity benefits. While outsourced contracts have the appearance of offering the same wages and conditions, they also contain terms and conditions like how many rooms need to be finished within a six-hour shift, typically between 25 and 30, which is humanly impossible. In the event that workers do not meet their quotas, they get fired. So, in order to meet their quotas, the workers take on unpaid overtime, resulting in an hourly wage of €3 or €4 that is far below the minimum wage. This pandemic, which forced hotels to close, highlighted the precarious working conditions of these women. Many of the agencies that handled outsourced work simply closed the company without applying for the furlough scheme, said Arana. It was only through food bank donations and the generosity of churches and community groups that the women survived. When people are looking for hotels, Arana says they should look for one where there are good working conditions and exploitation is not an issue. She adds that the only effect of outsourcing is sickness, an enormous amount of work, and, ultimately, poverty.

Against exploitation; Hotel booking app in Spain will show staff working conditions

A survey by Microsoft has revealed that 40 per cent of global workers are considering leaving their employers this year. The survey, published on Monday, also found that 61 per cent of employers feel that they are “thriving” right now.

The COVID-19 pandemic has completely changed the route of work culture, with new struggles in the way of many. Microsoft’s 2021 Work Trend Index adds how people&nbsp;“now more than ever” expect their employers and leaders to show empathy, given the “unique challenges”.

The index surveyed 30,000 people from 31 countries. In addition, it factored in trends from Microsoft 365 and LinkedIn. The survey found that those who claimed to be “thriving” were male leaders from Generation X or the millennial generation.&nbsp;

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="http://13.235.153.162/business-economy/over-70000-uber-drivers-in-uk-now-entitled-to-minimum-wage-other-workers-rights-371005" hreflang="en">Over 70,000 Uber drivers in UK now entitled to minimum wage, other workers' rights</a>

On the other hand, employees who claimed that they were struggling included married folks (54 per cent), working moms (56 per cent), Generation Z (60 per cent), frontline employees (61 per cent), employees who recently joined their jobs - less than a year ago (64 per cent), and single people (67 per cent).

The trend posits that the major burdens in the aftermath of COVID-19 have been put on members of Generation Z, most of whom recently started out their careers.&nbsp;

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="http://13.235.153.162/technology/google-to-provide-25-million-to-social-enterprises-working-on-women-empowerment-368934" hreflang="en">Google to provide $25 million to social enterprises working on women empowerment</a>

In addition, working mothers are also negatively impacted, many of whom have had to leave their jobs owing to new social arrangement put in place by the pandemic. 73 per cent of the surveyed claim that they endorse flexible working hours, and remote working. 67 per cent said that they want to return to the pre-COVID mode of working from office.

The report also found that 54 per cent employees feel “overworked” and 39 per cent feel “exhausted”. Some 54 percent of employees feel “overworked” and 39 percent feel “exhausted”. One of the worst-affected groups - 66 per cent of Generation Z employees said they were merely “surviving” or “struggling”.

A survey by Microsoft has revealed that 40 per cent of global workers are considering leaving their employers this year. The survey, published on Monday, also found that 61 per cent of employers feel that they are “thriving” right now.

A survey by Microsoft has revealed that 40 per cent of global workers are considering leaving their employers this year. The survey, published on Monday, also found that 61 per cent of employers feel that they are “thriving” right now. The COVID-19 pandemic has completely changed the route of work culture, with new struggles in the way of many. Microsoft’s 2021 Work Trend Index adds how people “now more than ever” expect their employers and leaders to show empathy, given the “unique challenges”. The index surveyed 30,000 people from 31 countries. In addition, it factored in trends from Microsoft 365 and LinkedIn. The survey found that those who claimed to be “thriving” were male leaders from Generation X or the millennial generation. Also read: Over 70,000 Uber drivers in UK now entitled to minimum wage, other workers' rights On the other hand, employees who claimed that they were struggling included married folks (54 per cent), working moms (56 per cent), Generation Z (60 per cent), frontline employees (61 per cent), employees who recently joined their jobs - less than a year ago (64 per cent), and single people (67 per cent). The trend posits that the major burdens in the aftermath of COVID-19 have been put on members of Generation Z, most of whom recently started out their careers. Also read: Google to provide $25 million to social enterprises working on women empowerment In addition, working mothers are also negatively impacted, many of whom have had to leave their jobs owing to new social arrangement put in place by the pandemic. 73 per cent of the surveyed claim that they endorse flexible working hours, and remote working. 67 per cent said that they want to return to the pre-COVID mode of working from office. The report also found that 54 per cent employees feel “overworked” and 39 per cent feel “exhausted”. Some 54 percent of employees feel “overworked” and 39 percent feel “exhausted”. One of the worst-affected groups - 66 per cent of Generation Z employees said they were merely “surviving” or “struggling”.

40% of global workers considering leaving their employers this year, finds survey

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/whatsapp-sues-israels-nso-for-alleged-cyber-espionage-targeting-civil-society-worldwide-258713">Israeli</a> diplomats began an open-ended strike on Wednesday, closing more than 100 embassies and consulates around the world in a protest over working conditions.

The stoppage follows a long-running dispute between diplomatic staff and the finance ministry, which the envoys say has unilaterally changed its rules on reimbursing expenses for entertaining official guests.

"We are forced to close the Israeli representations in the world as of today (October 30)," the foreign ministry staff union said in a statement.

"No services will be provided to the public and admission to delegations will not be allowed."

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/former-military-chief-gantz-receives-official-mandate-to-form-government-in-israel-257948">Israel's</a> ambassador to Belgium, Emmanuel Nachshon, said the row was over a treasury demand that receipts be provided with expense claims for home entertaining.

"Our embassy is closed like the rest of the Israeli embassies in the world," he told Israeli public radio.

"When you host somebody in your home when you hold a dinner or other activity, it's not always possible to provide a receipt for everything," he said.

"They need to trust us when we declare such an expense."

Israeli financial daily Globes reported last month that the foreign ministry was in deep crisis after repeated cuts to its budget and that its accountant general had ordered envoys to stop all business trips and entertaining and end overtime for local staff.

Israeli diplomats began an open-ended strike on Wednesday, closing more than 100 embassies and consulates around the world in a protest over working conditions. The stoppage follows a long-running dispute between diplomatic staff and the finance ministry, which the envoys say has unilaterally changed its rules on reimbursing expenses for entertaining official guests.

Israeli diplomats began an open-ended strike on Wednesday, closing more than 100 embassies and consulates around the world in a protest over working conditions. The stoppage follows a long-running dispute between diplomatic staff and the finance ministry, which the envoys say has unilaterally changed its rules on reimbursing expenses for entertaining official guests. "We are forced to close the Israeli representations in the world as of today (October 30)," the foreign ministry staff union said in a statement. "No services will be provided to the public and admission to delegations will not be allowed." Israel's ambassador to Belgium, Emmanuel Nachshon, said the row was over a treasury demand that receipts be provided with expense claims for home entertaining. "Our embassy is closed like the rest of the Israeli embassies in the world," he told Israeli public radio. "When you host somebody in your home when you hold a dinner or other activity, it's not always possible to provide a receipt for everything," he said. "They need to trust us when we declare such an expense." Israeli financial daily Globes reported last month that the foreign ministry was in deep crisis after repeated cuts to its budget and that its accountant general had ordered envoys to stop all business trips and entertaining and end overtime for local staff.

Israeli diplomats strike over working conditions

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