Lab workers' strike puts strain on DHBs

District health boards in Auckland say industrial action by hospital laboratory workers is placing unsustainable stress on other hospital staff.

The workers are part of more than a 1000 unionised lab staff from around New Zealand campaigning for pay rises.

As part of their strike, lab workers are not answering phones or doing extra tests on samples or tests on tissues while patients are in surgery.

In response, the three Auckland DHBs have been standing down around 30 striking workers for between three and six hours each day.

As a result, hospitals say non-union staff are finding it difficult to shoulder the extra workload.

Auckland DHB general manager of operations Ngaire Buchanan told Radio New Zealand the strikes are causing unnecessarily delays for patients.

The union is currently considering whether to accept a one per cent pay rise in July which would be followed with a one per cent pay rise next January.

- NZ Herald staff