Middlemore lab workers join strike

File photo / NZ Listener

Hospital delays caused by striking medical laboratory workers are expected to get worse today after union members at south Auckland's Middlemore Hospital joined the fight for better pay and conditions.

Medical Laboratory Workers Union members at Auckland City Hospital, Starship Children's Hospital and the Greenlane Clinical Centre began a two-day strike at midnight on Sunday.

Middlemore workers joined the industrial action at midnight yesterday and were also to strike for 48 hours. About 350 laboratory workers were involved.

District Health Board chief operating officer Ron Dunham said elective surgery at Middlemore had been postponed, and that the industrial action was expected to cause quite significant disruption.

Non-unionised laboratory staff members would continue to work as normal and life-preserving services contingency plans had been agreed with the union.

Union secretary-treasurer Bryan Raill said the strikes were not about trying to disrupt patient care, rather the workers were trying to get the board to settle contracts in a fair and meaningful way.

- NZPA