By Martin Johnston
health reporter
Auckland Healthcare is warning patients booked for non-urgent surgery to prepare for postponement at short notice because laboratory workers are striking from today.
The three-day action by more than 200 of the 300 laboratory service staff is due to start at 7 am. The service is responsible for
blood and other tests and post-mortem examinations.
The Medical Laboratory Workers Union members are demanding a 3 per cent pay rise, but the company has offered only 1 per cent, plus a further 1 per cent next year.
Auckland Healthcare chief executive Graeme Edmond said yesterday that fewer than 100 non-urgent operations were booked at the company's four public hospitals - Green Lane, National Women's, Auckland and Starship children's.
It was unlikely that any of those would be postponed, but staff were warning patients of the possibility at pre-surgery consultations.
"Our contingency plans are in place," he said. "We are relying on about 100 staff who aren't members of the union. We expect that they will report for work as usual."
They would concentrate on the urgent tests, such as those needed during operations. That could lead to delays with some less-urgent test results, such as those for sexually transmitted diseases, the newborn intensive-care unit and non-urgent cardiac surgery.
Mr Edmond said the company had looked at going to other hospitals, public and private, and private laboratories, but had not yet sought their help.
A union advocate, Trish Lush, said members were not planning to picket, but the union had notified the company of further action.
Mr Edmond, who criticised the union's tactics, said his company was willing to resume negotiations if the strike was called off.
Trish Lush said the union had initially sought 4 per cent and it had advanced "solid arguments" for its claim on behalf of workers who were on the lowest laboratory rates of the region's three public-hospital companies.
She said informal talks had continued last week but Auckland Healthcare's informal offers were not high enough.
The company maintains its rates are competitive.
