Hospital lab workers extend industrial action

The union representing hospital lab workers has given notice that staff will extend their industrial action until September.

Medical laboratory workers have been involved in the action for eight weeks after rejecting an offer they say would have given them no pay increase.

The action last week prompted Auckland's three metropolitan district health boards (DHBs) to suspend striking workers for up to six hours at a time, with wages to be adjusted accordingly.

Up to 30 lab workers are suspended daily.

New Zealand Medical Laboratory Workers Union secretary Bryan Raill said the suspensions were meant to intimidate staff.

"It's majorly backfired. It's in fact showing the laboratory staff that their employers are treating them badly," he said.

One lab technician had been in tears when she was suspended, he said.

"She had a full bench of work to do that morning, and the DHB had ripped her away from her work."

Mr Raill said there was "a fractured position" among DHBs over suspending staff.

"Northland, Canterbury, Wellington and New Zealand Blood Service aren't suspending their staff who are taking industrial action.

"They obviously have a view to the longer-term relationship with their staff when there finally is a settlement."

A postal ballot on a revised pay offer closes on Monday.

The deal involves two rises of 1% over 25 months, as well as long-service leave, and on-call and parental leave provisions.

Counties Manukau DHB chief operating officer Ron Dunham said last week the union's actions posed an ongoing threat to patient care and its demands were highly unrealistic.

The decision to suspend striking staff was not taken lightly and the DHB had hoped the dispute would not reach this point.

"Suspensions will continue until industrial action is lifted and for the sake of patients and staff alike, we hope that happens soon."

It was unfortunate that the industrial action had continued while the union awaited the results of the ballot.